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DeFazio Bill Would Reduce Regulatory Delays, Increase Accountability and Transparency at OIRA

Sept. 28, 2016

DeFazio Bill Would Reduce Regulatory Delays, Increase Accountability and Transparency at OIRA

Statement of Amit Narang, Regulatory Policy Advocate, Public Citizen’s Congress Watch Division

Note: On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) introduced legislation to increase transparency and accountability at the U.S. Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). OIRA is a small White House office that functions as a clearing house for federal regulations but is often the source of significant regulatory delays.

Public Citizen applauds Rep. DeFazio for proposing strong legislation to address the real problems that plague our country’s regulatory system. We need to make sure that our government is working efficiently and effectively to protect American workers, consumers and families.

It can take federal agencies up to four years, and in some cases decades, to issue commonsense protections that bring the most benefits for the public. The delays affect virtually every agency and regulatory sector from Wall Street reform to food safety, from environmental safeguards to workplace safety standards, and from campaign finance rules to consumer protections. These delays have serious consequences: lives needlessly lost, irreversible environmental damage, continued recklessness on Wall Street, prolonged exposure of workers to hazardous and deadly conditions, and more.

Conservative lawmakers have put forth dozens of bills that would rig the regulatory process for more delay and obstruction at the behest of corporate interests. This is why it is so important that DeFazio has proposed reforms that address the real problems in our regulatory process.

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