The 112th Congress kicked off in January with great enthusiasm from the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives. House Republicans rolled out their “Pledge to America,” an oath to follow through on their promises to cut spending, create jobs and put Americans back to work. And follow through they did—with 22 separate jobs bills—all of which stalled in the Democrat- controlled Senate.
With construction unemployment at a dismal 13.7 percent, the Senate failed to consider House-passed legislation that would cut red tape and scale back regulations that have left businesses uncertain about their future, with some barely able to keep their doors open. The list of 22 stalled jobs bills includes:
- Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act (H.R. 2587): This legislation would spark investment in the economy by guaranteeing companies and entrepreneurs retain the ability to decide where to conduct business and locate jobs.
- Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act (H.R. 2681): This legislation would require the Environmental Protection Agency to re-craft four specific cement regulations in a manner that is practical and feasible for plants to implement. The bill also would postpone implementation of these regulations for five years to help strengthen the cement industry’s recovery.
- Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act (H.R. 2273): This legislation would establish a baseline for disposal of coal combustion residuals, while maximizing flexibility for individual states.
In the coming weeks, the House is slated to take up more legislation aimed at freeing job creators of excessive regulations. Expect to see votes taken on three important regulatory bills that would improve and reform an increasingly outdated regulatory process to provide for greater government accountability, transparency and quality. If the precedent set so far in Congress continues, expect these three pro-job growth bills to stall in the Senate.
- Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011 (H.R. 3010): This legislation would enhance public transparency and government accountability when agencies develop regulations. It would improve data quality and analysis, including evaluation of true costs. It also would narrow bureaucratic loopholes that sidestep full and open regulatory development. This legislation would provide a comprehensive solution to the overall regulatory problem.
- Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act (H.R. 10): This legislation would require Congress to pass a joint resolution of approval before any new major rule (defined as having an impact of $100 million or more) takes effect. It would ensure Congress is held accountable for the impact finalized rules have on the business community and the American people.
- Regulatory Flexibility and Improvements Act (H.R. 527): This legislation would strengthen agencies’ analyses of a rule’s impact on small businesses. It would give the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy additional authority and require it to establish standards for conducting a “regulatory flexibility analysis” during the rulemaking process.
In addition to passing various jobs bills, House Republicans passed a budget for fiscal year 2012 that slashes $6.2 trillion in spending during the next decade, upholds simplified tax code rates for small businesses and American families, and creates nearly one million new private sector jobs within the next year. Unfortunately, this responsible budget was rejected by the Obama administration and Democrat-led Senate, which has not passed a budget in more than 900 days. Rather than address the nation’s out-of-control spending and the tens of millions of Americans who are unemployed or underemployed, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is focused on blaming Republicans as a strategy for next year’s elections. Americans and the economy cannot wait that long.
While the president and the Democrat-controlled Senate were willing to go it alone to pass a failed $1 trillion stimulus bill, they are refusing to support targeted, pro-growth House bills that direct attention to sectors in need of an economic jumpstart.
Americans are demanding immediate relief from unemployment. Cooperation could bring progress, but instead the president is pitching his jobs proposal in campaign-type events in states critical to his re-election, even when he knows Reid will not bring his plan to the floor for a vote. Rather than trying to convince the American people they are better off under his policies, the president should work with Congress on the stalled jobs bills that, if signed into law, would help bring certainty to job creators.
Unfortunately, Americans should expect more political posturing and legislative delays in 2012 as Obama transitions from governing into campaigning full time for a second term as president.