Reining in Washington

Small business owners I talk to in North Missouri and across the country nearly unanimously say they need a break from all the red tape. A recent study found that the annual cost of federal regulations stands at more than $1.75 trillion, with small businesses paying a cost that is 36 percent higher on average than larger counterparts.

The examples of overreach and opportunities to rein in federal agencies are not hard to find. Whether it's the Department of Labor looking to prevent teens from working on their family farms or the Environmental Protection Agency floating the idea of regulating how much dust a farmer is allowed to stir up, there's clearly a disconnect between what Washington bureaucrats want and what our economy needs.

This week, the House will address this disparity by considering theAchieving Less Excess in Regulation and Requiring Transparency Act(H.R. 2804). The bill combines several legislative proposals from this Congress, including one I introduced to allow opportunities for better input from small businesses on regulations in advance of new requirements. It seems common sense that you get a better rule when you consider the consequences beforehand, and this legislation will help achieve that goal.

Not all regulations are bad. Many are burdensome, however, and the sheer sum of them is a problem. The nation's founders never anticipated an unrestrained regulatory state – so let's call on Washington to practice some restraint. The economy will be better off, and small businesses will have more room to grow and create jobs.