Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today voted in favor of H.Res. 72. The resolution directs ten House Committees to inventory and review existing, pending and proposed regulations, orders and other administrative actions or procedures by federal agencies within the committees’ jurisdiction. The committees include: Agriculture, Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, the Judiciary, Natural Resources, Oversight and Government Reform, Small Business, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Ways and Means.

“This resolution is the first step in the process toward building a more transparent and fair system,” said Congressman Simpson. “I have talked to countless Idahoans who have told me that the burdensome regulations handed down from executive agencies and put into effect without the consent of Congress are making it hard for them to create jobs and help the economy grow.  We simply cannot let one branch of government run rough-shod without any system of checks and balances.  There are numerous regulations that create uncertainty and increase costs for small business owners, farmers and ranchers, and Congress must have the ability to stop or reverse them.”

H.Res. 72 passed the U.S. House of Representatives today with a final vote of 391-28

In addition to supporting this resolution, Congressman Simpson is also a cosponsor of H.R. 10, the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny Act, commonly referred to as the REINS Act. This legislation would require Congress to approve major regulations by federal agencies, including any regulation that has an impact of more than $100 million. The bill was included in the Republican Pledge to America.

There have been estimates that the total costs of all regulations from federal agencies is more than $1 trillion annually, or more than $10,000 per household per year. “Each year, federal agencies issue thousands of new regulations affecting the entire American economy, thus negatively impacting job growth,” said Simpson. “Congress needs to reestablish its authority to oversee these rules and act upon them in order to reduce the burden on all businesses in order to stimulate real job growth.”

H.R. 10 is currently under consideration in both the House Judiciary Committee and the House Rules Committee.