Govt's Attempt to Decrease Regs Adds $14.7 Billion in New Costs, 13.5 Million Burden Hours

[Valin]

The Weekly Standard:

And an increase of 1,500 years of paperwork per year.

SHOSHANA WEISSMANN

Aug 25, 2015

 

The American Action Forum (AAF) is out with a new report about the Obama administration's unsuccessful efforts to reduce regulations. The findings are jaw-dropping.

 

In 2011 and 2012, President Obama signed executive orders that forced agencies to reduce regulatory burdens.

 

AAF's director of regulatory policy, Sam Batkins, reviews the White House's recent Retrospective Review of Regulations, and finds the administration's efforts have actually increased regulatory burdens. Batkins notes that "executive agencies have added more than $14.7 billion in regulatory costs and 13.4 million paperwork hours."

 

President Obama's executive orders required cabinet agencies to remove redundant regulations. Instead, their retrospective reports added to regulatory costs and burdens.

 

Of those reporting, two agencies—the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Commerce—reduced the cost of their regulatory burdens by a combined $6,000,000. The remainder increased their burdens by $14,759,000,000. That's a net $14,765,000,000 increase across agencies.

 

(Snip)