Today, U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), top Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee, sent a letter to President Barack Obama regarding the Administration's regulatory actions and the accompanying effects on the economy and private property rights, particularly from the Department of Interior (DOI) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
"Seemingly, the President is allowing his Administration to regulate for the sake of regulating, making it difficult for businesses and job creators to thrive," said Vitter. "We are now at a point where anonymous agency bureaucrats are producing an average of 10 new regulations a day, including weekends and holidays. Call me naïve, but I hope in next week's State of the Union address that President Obama will clearly state his intention to redirect the Administration toward promoting a healthy economy and protecting individuals' rights."
In a Washington Post op-ed, Professor Jonathan Turley, Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, and also a supporter of President Obama, wrote:
"This exponential growth [of centralized power] has led to increasing power and independence for agencies. The shift of authority has been staggering. The fourth branch now has a larger practical impact on the lives of citizens than all the other branches combined. The rise of the fourth branch has been at the expense of Congress's lawmaking authority. In fact, the vast majority of "laws" governing the United States are not passed by Congress but are issued as regulations, crafted largely by thousands of unnamed, unreachable bureaucrats."
Vitter has been committed to strong oversight of the Obama Administration, specifically focused on bringing more transparency and accountability to the EPA, and the rest of the Administration.
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