Washington - Congressman Andy Barr released the following statement regarding H.R. 2804, the Achieving Less Excess in Regulation and Requiring Transparency (ALERRT) Act, which passed the House of Representatives today:
“At a time when our economy is struggling to grow, the federal government continues to produce an avalanche of regulations that stifle job creation and cost each Kentucky family roughly $15,000 every year. We owe it to these hardworking taxpayers to increase transparency and accountability in the regulatory process to ensure that the government is spending their money wisely.
“That’s why today I was glad to support the ALERRT Act, a comprehensive regulatory reform package that will promote jobs, higher wages, and economic growth. Among the many important regulatory reform measures, this legislation includes an amendment that I introduced with Congressman Keith Rothfus of Pennsylvania to force agency directors and administrators seeking to impose rules predicted to hurt employment or wages of hardworking Americans to publicly acknowledge that they were aware of that fact, but moved forward anyway ignoring the consequences. It would also allow concerned citizens to comment on these harmful regulations."
The Rothfus-Barr Amendment passed with bipartisan support by a vote of 249-162.
The ALERRT Act includes commonsense provisions such as:
- Mandating cost-benefit analyses for new regulations regarding their impacts to the economy.
- Restraining frivolous sue-and-settle lawsuits that coerce agencies into creating new regulations at the cost of the very taxpayers to be regulated.
- Requiring more advance notice of new rules and making those notices available online.