Bob Goodlatte: A new administration

Our 45th President Takes Office

On Friday, we again observed the peaceful transfer of power – a true testament to the system of government established by our Founding Fathers and to the American people. From George Washington’s inauguration 228 years ago to the swearing-in of President Trump, our Republic has stood as a bastion of freedom and liberty and an example for many in other parts of the world. While we all have our differences, we are one nation, and now is the time to unite around our new Commander in Chief.

This is a new day for America, and I am excited for the opportunity to advance an agenda that will tackle some of the greatest challenges faced by this country. I look forward to working with President Trump to ensure that America remains the greatest nation in the world.

If you watched the Inaugural Parade on Friday, hopefully you saw groups from Virginia Military Institute and Fishburne Military School. Thank you to these students for representing the Sixth District so well!

On the right: Photos from the Inauguration Ceremony as well as some of the folks from the Sixth District who stopped by my office to pick up their tickets.

The Price Tag of Federal Regulation

Just about everything comes with a price tag: a gallon of gas, a cheeseburger for lunch, or a home for your family. The same goes for regulations passed down by the federal government. All regulations come with a price tag and hardworking Americans, as well as businesses large and small, must cover those costs.

As more regulations add up, prices for goods and services increase, job opportunities and wages decrease, and our country as a whole becomes less competitive. Small businesses in Virginia that could hire more employees instead have to spend that money on complying with whatever the federal government mandates next. In the waning days of the Obama Administration, there was no sign of slowing down the regulatory blitz on America’s economy. Since January 1, 206 final regulations were issued by the Obama Administration – including 72 last week. That equates to roughly one regulation every two hours. Of the new regulations finalized in 2017, 35 have affected small businesses and seven have costs of $100 million or more.

Regulations play an important role in protecting our communities. We can have new federal regulations, but they need to make sense, and they need to take into account the impact on consumers and industries. The Obama Administration’s attempt over the last eight years to regulate the economy back to prosperity was the wrong approach. The tangled web of red tape is proof that Congress must curb today’s runaway regulatory state.

In the new 115th Congress, the House has already passed a series of bills to ease the regulatory burden on workers, families, small businesses, and the economy. The Regulatory Accountability Act, which I introduced, is made up of six bipartisan bills. The heart of this legislation restores to the people the right to be heard by Washington’s regulators. It requires agencies to execute the laws passed by Congress in the least costly way, and with better public input, to find the most efficient regulatory solutions that benefit Americans. Click here to read more about this bill.

There is a better way to create a regulatory system that works for the American economy, and the Regulatory Accountability Act is that solution. This bill will give the Trump Administration the tools needed to push back against abusive regulations. I urge the Senate to act quickly to send it to the President’s desk. With the help of these reforms, we can truly make America more competitive, put Americans back to work, and free America’s entrepreneurs to innovate.