PREPARING FOR SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON JUNE 3, 2011 REGARDING UPDATE ON ADMINISTRATION'S REGULATORY REFORM AGENDA

Washington, May 27  -

Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, is reviewing the plans to reduce the federal regulatory burden released yesterday by the White House.  "The Subcommittee staff is reviewing these plans in preparation for the hearing next week on getting an update on the White House's regulatory reform agenda," said Stearns.  "We are looking at those from the agencies under the Subcommittee's jurisdiction -- Health and Human Services, Department of Energy, Department of Commerce, and the Environmental Protection Agency.  However, I am disappointed in some of the senseless and/or burdensome regulations and rules highlighted yesterday by Cass Sunstein (Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs), such as dropping references to Yugoslavia, a nation that no longer exists, in the rules.  I am hopeful that the reforms identified in the plans are more substantial and will have a greater positive economic impact by reducing burdensome rules and regulations that only serve to hamper economic activities."

In January, Stearns held a hearing on the Administration's regulatory reform agenda with Cass Sunstein testifying.  "At that hearing, I expressed some concern with the criteria being used by the Administration in reviewing its rules and regulations to see if they were needed or if they unfairly burden to economy and job creation," noted Stearns.  "Sunstein stated that these reviews would consider such values as ‘equity, human dignity, fairness, and distributive impacts,' which I found subjective and which would make a rational cost/benefit analysis more difficult."