For Release: Sunday, April 13, 1997

WASHINGTON, DC - For many years members of the United States House and Senate have abdicated their constitutional authority and responsibility to make and pass laws, says US Representative Ron Paul (R-Surfside, Texas). He is the cosponsor of a measure which would force Congress to follow the Constitution.

"Article One of the Constitution limits the power to make certain laws solely to Congress, but the practice has been very different," said Paul. "Congress has all but abdicated the real law-making authority to the alphabet soup of federal agencies."

The legislation Paul is cosponsoring is HR 1036, the Congressional Responsibility Act.

Paul said that agencies like the Internal Revenue Service, the Environmental protection Agency, the Department of Education, Health and Human Services, the Labor Department, and the many others, are able to make rules which carry the full effect of law.

"These rules affect the minute details of the lives of individuals in every aspect of life, yet elected officials - accountable to the voters and taxpayers - rarely the rules or have any part of the process. It's now time for this to change; the bureaucratic dictators need to be reigned in and only Congress can do it."

Paul said the legislation will "end the arbitrary rule-making authority of agencies" and force Congress to retake the constitutional role it has ignored.

Under the proposed legislation, agencies would be required to submit their proposed new regulations to both Houses of Congress. The House and Senate would then hold hearings and consider the new rules just like any other piece of legislation. If the rule passes both houses, it goes into effect. If not, the rule dies.

"The genius of our system of government is the constitutionally defined enumeration and separation of powers. For far too long, though, these principles have been ignored. This legislation will take steps in the right direction: following the Constitution and cutting the regulatory burden on American citizens," said Paul. "Members of Congress are elected not to make speeches, but to make decisions. It's time Congress was accountable for the actions of the agencies Congress created and continues to fund."