Lawmakers’ website to collect complaints about federal regs

Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) announced an initiative Friday to address the speed, frequency and relevancy of federal regulations.

In launching the #CutRedTape Initiative, the lawmakers have created a website, hsgac.senate.gov, where people can go online and voice their concerns and complaints about federal regulations that are creating a problem for their business or family.

“We want to be able to make sure that any regulation that’s promulgated is actually by the people, for the people,” Lankford said. “It’s a basic principal. The government doesn’t run all businesses.”

Lankford said the idea for the website came out of a Senate Homeland Security and Government hearing last week.

“We asked the question of OMB [the White House Office of Management and Budget] where do people go if they have a problem, and the answer was they have to go to the agency to be able to voice that,” Lankford said. “Well, most individuals don’t know what agency even put that regulation out. People don’t get up every morning and read the Federal Register.”

Lankford said the website will help lawmakers tell agencies which regulations need to be addressed or kick-start the process of getting rid of a burdensome rule.

Heitkamp said lawmakers hear from trade groups and industry lobbyists about problem regulations all the time.

“I like to think of this initiative as an opportunity to hear not only from K Street, but also from Main Street on what those regulatory burdens are; how they are in fact making it difficult to increase employment; and making it difficult for people to actually do their job,” she said.