Dear Friend,
The president delivered his State of the Union address Tuesday offering the familiar rhetoric of his failed record. The Republican-led House has advanced nearly 30 jobs bills that aim to meet some of the exact goals outlined in the president’s speech. However, these bills are being stalled by the president’s political allies in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
President Obama: “A future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world. … an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.” (State of the Union, January 24, 2012)
Fact: One week ago to date, the White House denied a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, a project that would create American jobs and energy. Time and again the House has moved bills to eliminate the administration’s bureaucratic delays that continue to stall American energy production.
H.R. 1938 the “North American-Made Energy Security Act,” pushes for final approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, a project that potentially brings nearly 1.3 million barrels of oil from Canada and North Dakota to U.S. refineries each day and creates more than 100,000 jobs
H.R. 1229, the “Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act,” speeds up the permitting process for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and helps put Americans back to work in the Gulf of Mexico
H.R. 1230, the “Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act,” requires the Secretary of the Interior to conduct more offshore oil and gas leases and reduces federal government spending by roughly $40 million over the next decade
H.R. 1231, the “Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act,” directs the Department of Interior to proceed with exploration and production in areas estimated to contain the most oil and gas and reduces the deficit by $800 million
H.R. 2021, the “Jobs and Energy Permitting Act,” eliminates the administration’s bureaucratic delays that have stalled offshore energy production in the Outer Continental Shelf, brings billions of barrels of domestic oil online and creates tens of thousands of American jobs
President Obama: “Most new jobs are created in start-ups and small businesses. So let’s pass an agenda that helps them succeed. Tear down regulations that prevent aspiring entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow. … There’s no question that some regulations are outdated, unnecessary, or too costly.” (State of the Union, January 24, 2012)
Fact: The House has advanced a series of bills to shrink the size of the federal government and remove barriers small businesses face from excessive federal regulations.
H.R. 10, the “Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2011,” requires Congress to take an up-or-down vote on regulations that have an economic impact of $100 million or more before they can be imposed on the American people and businesses
H.R. 527, the “Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2011,” closes loopholes that the agencies are exploiting to avoid the requirement that they analyze the effect new regulations would have on small businesses
H.R. 1633, the “Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act of 2011,” temporarily prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from issuing any new National Ambient Air Quality Standard for coarse particulate matter, also known as dust, for at least one year
H.R. 2250, the “EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011,” delays regulations that would affect hospitals, factories, colleges and thousands of other American employers who use boilers to generate heat and electricity. This bipartisan bill provides the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with at least 15 months to re-propose and finalize the new rules and gives employers an extended compliance period
H.R. 2273, the “Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act,” provides a regulatory alternative to the Obama administration’s proposed coal ash rules, protecting both jobs and the environment
H.R. 2401, the “Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act of 2011,” establishes an interagency committee that would report the economic costs of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that impact energy and manufacturing
H.R. 2587, the “Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act,” prohibits the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) from restricting where an employer can create jobs in America
H.R. 2681, the “Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011,” provides a 15 month legislative stay for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to redraft the newly imposed cement requirements in an effort to lighten the compliance burden on American’s cement manufacturers
H.R. 3010, “Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011,” requires advance notice of proposed rulemakings to increase public participation and input before costly agency positions are proposed, mandates agencies to use the best science and choose the lowest cost rulemaking alternative and permits costlier rules when there are needs to protect public health, safety or welfare – if justified
H.R. 3094, the “Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act,” preempts National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) proposed rulemaking that will significantly change procedures that govern union elections by providing employers just seven days to find legal counsel and prepare their entire case to be presented at a NLRB pre-election hearing
Instead of painting House Republicans as obstructionists, the president should adopt our proposals to create jobs, increase energy production, approve the Keystone XL pipeline and remove excessive federal regulations.
1/27/12
Magnolia Tribune
