On the Issues
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REGULATORY REFORM 
Senator Levin came to the Senate determined to work to improve the way in which federal agencies issue regulations. As a local official in Michigan, he had seen and experienced the problems of inappropriate or unnecessarily inflexible federal regulations and, in some cases, regulations that defied common sense. Senator Levin has worked over the years for legislation to allow Congress to review regulations before they take effect, to encourage agencies to negotiate when developing controversial regulations so all parties with an interest in the regulations participate in developing the rule, and to require agencies to analyze the costs and benefits of their proposed rules to ensure that what we're doing makes sense and that we're using our resources wisely. The first two of these three proposals -- Congressional review of rules and regulatory negotiation -- have become law, and Senator Levin is proud to have sponsored them. Senator Levin has sponsored legislation to implement the third proposal - requiring a cost-benefit analysis for major rules. The bill would have required each federal agency to analyze both the quantifiable and nonquantifiable benefits and costs of proposed rules, tell the public whether the agency thinks the benefits of the rule justify the costs, and if the agency thinks the benefits don't justify the costs, tell the public why the agency is issuing the regulation. If enacted into law, the Regulatory Improvement Act would significantly improve the quality of federal regulations and thus provide important benefits to the public, including improving the environment, worker safety and public health. The General Accounting Office, an independent, analytical arm of Congress, has said, "Passage of [the Regulatory Improvement Act] would provide a statutory foundation for such principles as openness, accountability and sound science in rulemaking." |
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