Republican Rep. Darrell Issa (CA) will lead the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as soon as Republicans officially take control as the majority in the House, and he is already showing an eagerness to please as he seeks to use his post to gut government regulations that affect numerous industries. Issa has penned a letter to numerous corporations that specifically asks their help in “identifying existing and proposed regulations” that could be eliminated.
Issa’s public reasoning for his planned assault on regulations is to spur “job growth” that has been “negatively impacted” by government rules and regulations.
One corporate entity contacted by Issa was Toyota, high-profile example of a corporation recently “negatively impacted” by government oversight that simultaneously protected consumers from the automaker’s lax internal safety standards and vigorous cost-cutting that led to its car recall scandal.
Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, who will lead the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent a letter to more than 150 companies and other organizations asking them to identify regulations that they would like to see eliminated.
“The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is examining existing and proposed regulations that negatively impact the economy and jobs,” the letter opens. Issa goes on to ask recipients “for your assistance in identifying existing and proposed regulations that have negatively impacted job growth in your members’ industry.”
Politico, which first reported on the appeal, said that Duke Energy, the Association of American Railroads, FMC Corp., Toyota and Bayer are among the groups who were sent the letter on Dec. 13th. The American Petroleum Institute, National Association of Manufacturers, the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association and representatives of the health care and telecommunications industries were also reportedly contacted by Issa.
“There is something fundamentally flawed in embracing a premise that relies on attacking the largest employer in America – private industry,” Issa spokesman Kurt Bardella said in a statement. “The anti-business policies of the past have hurt job creators, small and large. It’s in the interest of every American that we create a regulatory environment that fosters economic growth and makes U.S. companies globally competitive. Maybe this disdain for job creators is why the current policies in place have failed to create the type of long-term, permanent jobs the American people were promised.”
How very Teapublican of him to ask industry what it doesn’t like being regulated and not We The People what we feel our air, water, safety, and life needs to be protected from.
Another Corprotist thug
What exactly does this have to do with oversight, which I understand as ensuring rules are complied with, not assessing whether particular rules are worthy. Isn’t it obvious that business leaders’ answer will be unequivocal – ALL OF THEM. GET RID OF ALL OF THEM. What business would not wish to get rid of regulation. That is like asking criminals which activities should be decriminalized. Just absurd.