Berks County News

Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-09) participated in the House Small Business Committee’s hearing titled “Burdensome Regulations: Examining the Biden Administration’s Failure to Consider Small Businesses” on May 22, 2024. The hearing focused on the impact of regulations enacted by the Biden Administration on small businesses.

Since taking office, President Biden and his administration have implemented 891 final rules, which have reportedly cost $1.6 trillion and required 232.4 million hours of paperwork. Over the past year, the House Small Business Committee has reviewed over 100 proposed and final rules, sent 66 letters to various federal agencies, and held 13 hearings addressing regulatory burdens.

The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), designed to ensure federal agencies consider small businesses during rulemaking processes, was a key topic at the hearing. The RFA mandates that agencies analyze whether proposed regulations will significantly impact a substantial number of small entities. However, current implementation practices are seen as insufficient in protecting small business interests.

"One of the greatest challenges small businesses face today is the burden of federal regulations," said Congressman Meuser. "Anyone who engages with local Chambers of Commerce or visits small businesses on Main Street, as I do, will quickly understand this. If federal regulators approached their roles with an open mind and listened to American small business owners, they would realize that excessive rules and taxes hinder small businesses' ability to succeed and grow."

Witnesses at the hearing included Paul Ray, Director of Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies; Dan Goldbeck, Director of Regulatory Policy; Rob Smith, Senior Attorney at NFIB Small Business Legal Center; and Todd Phillips, Assistant Professor at Georgia State University.