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Health & Fitness

Solutions to Stop Government Abuse

The House last week took important steps to rein in an out-of-control federal government, make Washington, D.C. more accountable, and empower the American people.

As families and employers work to recover from the economic downturn, there are still too many roadblocks and hurdles created by Washington.  Sensible regulation is necessary, but too often unelected and out of touch elites hold back economic growth, destroy good-paying middle-class jobs and make everything from groceries to gas more expensive for American families.

The Competitive Enterprise Institute found these burdensome regulations cost the average American family almost $15,000 each year.  That amounts to more than 28% of an average family’s income in the Twelfth District.

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Another study estimates that just six EPA regulations will cause the loss of almost ten million jobs.  Western Pennsylvanians are all too familiar with the devastating cost of regulations like these.

The REINS Act, which passed the House last week, requires your elected representatives to be more accountable for regulations.  Very simply, if the regulation will cost Americans more than $50 million, then Congress has to vote on it.  Good regulations will be approved and others will not, but your representative will have to declare a position.

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Regulations currently being developed by the Obama Administration would cost the economy more than $50 billion.  That number will grow in the coming years as federal regulators continue to implement Obamacare, Dodd-Frank, and President Obama’s anti-fossil fuel agenda.

Overregulation is not the only abuse going on in Washington, D.C.

The IRS recently admitted it had inappropriately targeted individuals and organizations because of their political beliefs.  This is very concerning when you consider that the IRS will play a large role in implementing Obamacare, including the collection of health information on all Americans.

To correct the problem, the House passed a bill last week that would prohibit the IRS from playing any role in implementing President Obama’s health care law.

The IRS scandal demonstrates not only a lack of accountability, but a lack of respect for the American people.  That is why the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which also passed in the House of Representatives last week, is so important.  It requires all IRS employees to respect taxpayers’ right to be informed, right to privacy, and right to a fair and just tax system.  You can learn more at Rothfus.house.gov.

Accountability also means that federal agencies should provide the same excellent customer service that folks have come to expect when interacting with businesses and with my office.

The Government Customer Service Improvement Act, which passed last week, will require federal agencies to adopt customer service standards and hold employees accountable to those standards.  These measures should help address the unacceptable delays that many Western Pennsylvanians face when dealing with federal agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Together, these common-sense reforms will help to grow our economy, add jobs, empower citizens, and make the federal government more accountable.  The Senate should act quickly to send them to President Obama for his signature.

Keith Rothfus represents Pennsylvania's Twelfth Congressional District, which includes all of Beaver County and portions of Allegheny, Cambria, Lawrence, Somerset, and Westmoreland Counties.

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