Murphy-Mulvaney Bill on Regulations Would Give Big Industries a Tool to Undo Clean Air, Food Safety, Consumer Product Safeguards

Regulatory Reduction Commission Idea a Favorite of Big Business

May 20, 2014

Contact: Ben Somberg, (202) 588-7742, bsomberg@citizen.org
Brian Gumm, (202) 683-4812, bgumm@foreffectivegov.org

Note: On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Fla.) and Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) announced the Regulatory Improvement Act (H.R. 4646). The bill would create a commission, appointed by political leaders, that would review existing regulations and present a list for Congress to vote to eliminate through a fast process with little time for careful deliberation. The idea was proposed by the conservative Competitive Enterprise Institute as early as 2000 (page 21).

Leaders of the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards (CSS) issued the following statements in response:

“This bill sets up a process with a pre-determined outcome of eliminating public protections,” said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen and CSS co-chair. “What we need is an oversight commission empowered to impose law and order on corporate malefactors – to help prevent the next contaminated food outbreak, chemical spill or financial crash.”

“After the West Virginia chemical spill and GM ignition switch tragedies, it is shocking that anyone would introduce a bill to reduce public protections,” said Katherine McFate, president and CEO of the Center for Effective Government and CSS co-chair. “Our system of health and safety standards needs to be strengthened, not weakened. This bill would allow more corporate misbehavior – with fewer penalties.”

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The Coalition for Sensible Safeguards is an alliance of consumer, labor, scientific, research, good government, faith, community, health, environmental, and public interest groups, as well as concerned individuals, joined in the belief that our country’s system of regulatory safeguards provides a stable framework that secures our quality of life and paves the way for a sound economy that benefits us all. For more information about the coalition, go to www.SensibleSafeguards.org.