House-Passed Jobs Bills Curbing Costly Small Business Regulations Sent to the Senate

December 2, 2011

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson today voted to support H.R. 3010, the Regulatory Accountability Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 253-167. H.R. 3010 is the second of two bipartisan supported jobs measures dealing with federal regulatory reform that passed the House this week. Yesterday, the House passed H.R. 527, the Regulatory Flexibility Improvement Act of 2011, by a vote of 263-159.

“In meeting with businesses and employers across the 5th Congressional District, it’s clear that the over burdensome federal regulatory regime, which has grown exponentially in recent years, is public enemy number one,” said Rep. Thompson. “Passage of both H.R. 3010 and H.R. 527 will help reduce the disproportionate burden that federal over-regulation has placed on small businesses across the Commonwealth. This is about jobs and the future competitiveness of our national workforce and economy.”

H.R. 3010, the Regulatory Accountability Act, reforms the federal agency rulemaking process by amending the Administrative Procedures Act, a 1946 law governing federal agency rulemaking that has not been updated since its enactment.

H.R. 527, the Regulatory Flexibility Improvement Act of 2011, amends provisions of United States Code, to ensure more rigorous cost estimates of potential adverse impacts of federal agency rules on smaller businesses.

“With thirty four months of 8 percent unemployment or higher, the American people and our employers are asking for relief,” Rep. Thompson added. “These commonsense measures passed by the House will eliminate government barriers that keep businesses from hiring new workers and – like the dozens of other House-passed jobs bills – deserve consideration by the Senate.”

Since the Beginning of the 112th Congress, the House chamber has passed more than 25 job creating bills. Rep. Thompson continues to call on the President and the Senate to work with the House on these commonsense measures.

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