| 00:00:00 | THE HOUSE, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO REALIZE WHO ELSE HAS DIFFICULTY IN SUPPORTING A BILL THAT ENDS UP CREATING UNSAFE PRODUCTS, PROMOTES DIRTY AIR, AND OTHER KINDS OF HARMS TO OUR CITIZENRY. |
| 00:00:28 | THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION IS OPPOSED TO H. |
| 00:00:33 | R. 527. |
| 00:00:34 | THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND IS OPPOSED TO THIS BILL. |
| 00:00:41 | THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S LAW CENTER DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS BILL. |
| 00:00:47 | PUBLIC CITIZEN IS OPPOSED TO IT. |
| 00:00:50 | THE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS ARE OPPOSED TO IT. |
| 00:00:54 | AND INDEED, A TOTAL OF MORE THAN 70 ORGANIZATIONS HAVE ALL WRITTEN, URGING US TO VERY CAREFULLY CONSIDER WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY. |
| 00:01:11 | IT'S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL AND VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE, CREDIBLE EVIDENCE THAT REGULATIONS DEPRESS JOB CREATION. |
| 00:01:28 | NOW THIS IS GREAT RHETORIC, BUT WE'RE PASSING LAWS HERE TODAY. |
| 00:01:36 | AND THE MAJORITY'S OWN WITNESS BEFORE THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AGREES WITH US. |
| 00:01:47 | CHRISTOPHER DEMUTH, WHO APPEARED BEFORE THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE STATED IN HIS PREPARED TESTIMONY THAT THE FOCUS ON JOBS CAN LEAD TO CONFUSION IN REGULATORY DEBATES AND THAT THE EMPLOYMENT EFFECTS OF REGULATION, WHILE IMPORTANT, ARE INDETERMINATE. |
| 00:02:14 | HE CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT. |
| 00:02:21 | AND HE WAS A PRETTY GOOD WITNESS FOR OUR POSITION THAT REGULATIONS HAVE NO DISCERNABLE IMPACT ON JOB CREATION. |
| 00:02:30 | IF ANYTHING, REGULATIONS MAY PROMOTE JOB GROWTH AND PUT AMERICANS BACK TO WORK. |
| 00:02:40 | ONE ALLIANCE, THE BLUE GREEN ALLIANCE, NOTES, AND I QUOTE, STUDIES ON THE DIRECT IMPACT OF REGULATIONS ON JOB GROWTH HAVE FOUND THAT MOST REGULATIONS RESULT IN MODEST JOB GROWTH OR HAVE NO EFFECT. |
| 00:02:57 | AND ECONOMIC GROWTH HAS CONSISTENTLY SURGED FORWARD IN CONCERT WITH THESE HEALTH AN SAFETY PROTECTIONS. |
| 00:03:04 | THE CLEAN AIR ACT IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THE ECONOMY HAS GROWN 204% THEAP PRIVATE SECTOR JOB CREATION HAS EXPANDED 86% SINCE IT WAS PASSED IN 1970. |
| 00:03:24 | AND SO, MY COLLEAGUES, REGULATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH CAN GO HAND IN HAND. |
| 00:03:35 | WE RECENTLY OBSERVED THAT 40 YEARS OF SUCCESS WITH THE CLEAN AIR ACT HAS DEMONSTRATED THE STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS AND STRONG ECONOMIC GROWTH GO HAND IN HAND. |
| 00:03:47 | WHAT'S IN THIS BILL IS A PROVISION THAT EVERY REGULATION CHANGE WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK THROUGH THE CONGRESS. |
| 00:03:56 | IT WOULD BE UNTHINKABLE. |
| 00:03:59 | THAT WE COULD ADD THIS TO OUR SCHEDULE, ESPECIALLY IF THERE WAS A HEALTH EMERGENCY THAT REQUIRED A RAPID PASSAGE. |
| 00:04:11 | AND SO, I WANT EVERY MEMBER OF THIS HOUSE TO EXAMINE THE GROSSLY DIFFERENT ANALYSIS --AGE CEASE THAT ARE BEING MADE HERE AND COME TO YOUR OWN CONCLUSION. |
| 00:04:25 | I THINK IF YOU DO, YOU'LL REALIZE THAT REGULATIONS HAVE NO DISCERNABLE IMPACT ON JOB CREATION. |
| 00:04:34 | I RESERVE THE BALANCE OF MY TIME. |
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Members of the House, it's important for us to realize who else has difficulty in supporting a bill that ends up creating unsafe products, promotes dirty air, and other kinds of harms to our citizenry. The American Lung Association is opposed to H.R. 527. The Environmental Defense Fund is opposed to this bill. The National Women's Law Center does not support this bill. Public Citizen is opposed to it. The Union of Concerned Scientists is opposed to it. And, indeed, a total of more than 70 organizations have all written urging us to very carefully consider what we are doing here today.
It's absolutely critical, and it is very important that we understand that there is no evidence, credible evidence that regulations depress job creation. Now, this is great rhetoric, but we're passing laws here today.
The majority's own witness before the House Judiciary Committee agrees with us. Christopher DeMuth, who appeared before the House Judiciary Committee on behalf of the American Enterprise Institute, stated in his prepared testimony that the focus on jobs can lead to confusion in regulatory debates, and that the employment effects of regulation, while important, are indeterminate. He can't figure it out, and he was a pretty good witness for our position that regulations have no discernible impact on job creation.
If anything, regulations may promote job growth and put Americans back to work. The BlueGreen Alliance notes: Studies on the direct impact of regulations on job growth have found that most regulations result in modest job growth or have no effect.
Economic growth has consistently surged forward in concert with these health and safety protections. The Clean Air Act is a perfect example. The economy has grown 204 percent and private sector job creation has expanded 86 percent since it was passed in 1970. And so, my colleagues, regulation and [Page: H8038] economic growth can go hand in hand. We recently observed that 40 years of success with the Clean Air Act has demonstrated that strong environmental protections and strong economic growth go hand in hand.
What's in this bill is a provision that every regulation change would have to come back through the Congress. It would be unthinkable that we could add this to our schedule, especially if there was a health emergency that required a rapid passage.
So I want every Member of this House to examine the grossly different analyses that are being made here and come to your own conclusion. I think if you do, you will realize that regulations have no discernible impact on job creation.
I reserve the balance of my time.