WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) released the following statement following the President’s address to Congress. Suggests freezing the tidal wave of proposed federal regulations.
“As Americans, we’re all concerned about the need to create good and sustainable jobs,” Rep. Walden said. “Congress and the White House should seek common ground to remove barriers to job creation in the private sector, so I look forward to reviewing the finer details of the President’s proposal.”
“We could start by freezing the tidal wave of proposed federal regulations aimed at job creators until Congress can review and approve them. Federal agencies are moving forward with a mind-boggling 4,257 new regulations that only add to the uncertainty that small business owners already feel. According to the Small Business Administration, regulations cost U.S. employers $1.75 trillion every year.”
“I hear the same thing from business owners all across Oregon: the economy is already on the rocks, and with thousands of proposed rules and regulations aimed at private business, small business owners feel too paralyzed to invest confidently in their enterprise or new jobs. It’s frustrating for investors, employers, and job seekers alike.”
“Here in Oregon, we’re battling the EPA on numerous rules that threaten to destroy hundreds of jobs in rural Oregon by shutting down the cement plant in Durkee and further regulating boilers all across the state.”
“Especially at a time when so much of our forestland is going up in smoke, Congress has an obligation to deliver a real solution that puts Oregonians back to work in the woods, makes our forests healthy for habitat and taxpayer alike, and spares counties the uncertainty of wondering every few years if the federal government will owe up to its end of the bargain of supporting rural roads, schools, and emergency services.”
“We can and should approve three pending trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea that open new markets to Oregon products and create up to 250,000 new American jobs.”
“Finally, the House has passed more than a dozen pro-growth measures to address the jobs crisis. The Senate can pick up the work that the House has started and take up these measures quickly to eliminate unnecessary regulations on small businesses, produce American energy from domestic resources, and rein in out-of-control spending in Washington.”
“The American people rightly expect their elected leaders to find common ground where possible to move the country and the economy forward. In the House, we stand ready to work with any serious and willing partners interested in removing barriers to creating new jobs in the private sector.”
Jobs-related bills passed by the House of Representatives that await action in the Senate:
- The Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act (H.R. 872), which would halt duplicative federal regulations on farmers and small business owners that are impeding job creation.
- The Energy Tax Prevention Act (H.R. 910), which would stop the federal bureaucracy from imposing a job-destroying national energy tax.
- The Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act (H.R. 2018), which would restrict the federal government’s ability to second-guess or delay a state’s permitting and water quality certification decisions under the Clean Water Act once the EPA has already approved a state’s program, preventing approval process delays that cost jobs and leave businesses hampered by uncertainty.
- The Consumer Financial Protection & Soundness Improvement Act (H.R. 1315), which would increase consumer protection and government accountability by eliminating the ability of Dodd-Frank’s unelected Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director to unilaterally carry out regulations that hurt job growth.
- The Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act (H.R. 1230), which would help to address high gas prices and support the creation of new American jobs by increasing offshore energy production.
- The Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act (H.R. 1229) and the Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act (H.R. 1231), which would help to put thousands of Americans back to work by ending the de facto moratorium on American energy production in the Gulf of Mexico in a safe, responsible and transparent manner by setting firm timelines for considering permits to drill.
- The Jobs and Energy Permitting Act of 2011 (H.R. 2021), which would streamline the permit process for American energy production to help lower prices and create tens of thousands of new jobs.
- The North American-Made Energy Security Act (H.R. 1938), which would require the federal government to make a determination by a date certain on whether or not it will allow the Keystone XL pipeline expansion, which is projected to directly create 20,000 jobs and support the creation of thousands more, to move forward.
- A Budget for Fiscal Year 2012 (H.Con.Res 34). With Washington’s failure to control spending hurting job creation in America, the House has passed its budget, while the Senate has not yet considered a budge of its own.
