The U.S. House passed another bill on December 2 seeking to complicate rule-making by federal agencies. Tom Latham (IA-04) and Steve King (IA-05) voted for H.R. 3010, the Regulatory Accountability Act, as did every Republican present. Nineteen House Democrats (the usual Blue Dog suspects) voted with the majority for this bill. Dave Loebsack (IA-02) and Leonard Boswell (IA-03) opposed the legislation, despite having crossed the aisle the previous day to support a different GOP effort to limit business regulations.
The Regulatory Accountability Act passed by 253 votes to 167 (roll call). Pete Kasperowicz explains,
The legislation would expand the requirements of federal agencies to base rules on evidence, consider less intrusive alternatives and weigh costs and benefits more carefully. […]
“By its own admission, the administration’s 2011 regulatory agenda contains 200 regulations that typically will affect the economy by $100 million or more every year,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) said.
“For employers, the people who create jobs and pay taxes, the impact of these costly regulations is clear,” he added. “Government regulation has become a barrier to economic growth and job creation.”Judiciary ranking member John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) said these bills are an attempt to completely halt the federal rulemaking process.
“These bills are blatantly and unhesitatingly designed to slow down and even halt all federal rulemaking, thereby threatening public health and safety by undermining the agencies’ ability to address a whole range of issues,” he said.
Democrat Bruce Braley (IA-01) was absent for Friday’s votes on H.R. 3010, but I assume he would have stuck with his caucus, based on his votes against similar legislation last week and earlier this year (see also here).
The House rejected all five amendments Democrats proposed to weaken this bill:
Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), to require agencies to consider whether a rule would affect veterans, low-income people and the elderly when deciding whether to move ahead with the rule. Failed 187-232.
Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), to give agencies the discretion to determine whether advance notice of a rule is needed. Failed 162-250.
Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), to prohibit the law from applying to rules dealing with food safety, workplace safety, consumer product safety or air and water quality. Failed 171-242.
Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), to exempt rules issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission under the Atomic Energy Act. Failed 174-247.
Jackson Lee, to exempt rules issued by the Department of Homeland Security. Failed 175-247.
Loebsack and Boswell voted for all of those amendments, as did most of the Democrats in the chamber. Latham and King voted against all the amendments. Braley was absent, but the previous day he had supported all Democratic amendments to a similar anti-regulatory bill.
Loebsack and Boswell also supported the unsuccessful Democratic motion to recommit H.R. 3010 with instructions just before the vote on final passage. For reasons I don’t understand, Latham was one of two Republicans to vote yes on the motion to recommit. I wonder if he accidentally pushed the wrong button, because it doesn’t seem like him to try to keep this bill from a final vote.
Like most of the other fake “pro-business” bills House Republicans have championed, the Regulatory Accountability Act is going nowhere fast in the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate. This kind of bill could rise again if the GOP wins a majority in the U.S. Senate in 2012, however.
Share any relevant thoughts in this thread.