Every year, trillions of dollars of hidden taxes are imposed that stifle growth and harm the economy. These taxes are being levied directly by the executive branch, bypassing the American people and their elected representatives in Congress. This frightening tax burden is the cost of new regulations, and it has reached new heights under President Obama.
In 2015, federal agencies issued 3,410 rules. The rate is alarming — 30 regulations for every one law enacted. During his tenure, President Obama has used unilateral power to expand the size, scope and reach of the federal government.
The true magnitude of this bureaucratic nightmare is evident. The 2015 Federal Register, a compilation of federal regulations, contained 80,260 pages of new rules and regulations. That is the third-highest page count in the Federal Register’s 81-year history. Unfortunately, this kind of regulatory zeal is typical for Obama. Six of the seven all-time highest Federal Register total page counts have occurred during his watch.
All of this government red tape comes at a terrible cost to the private sector. A recent study by the Competitive Enterprise Institute found that Americans were saddled with $1.885 trillion worth of regulatory expenses in 2015. That equals roughly $15,000 per American household. This hidden tax is a larger burden than individual and corporate income taxes combined. It also erodes job creation and contributes to our anemic economic growth.
The president’s motives for this costly and unprecedented unilateral action are clear. His agenda has been unpopular throughout both of his terms and is famously opposed by the majority of Americans. Determined to impose his flawed worldview, he consistently circumvents standard processes for policy adoption.
Through a combination of executive actions and federal agency regulation, Obama has sought to accomplish by fiat that which he could not achieve legislatively. This is all done in an effort to avoid accountability to the American people and the representatives they elected to create our laws.
With the Obama presidency coming to a close, an unrivaled flood of executive orders and agency regulations is expected. Congress must take action now to stop this usurpation of its legislative authority and restore the normal, constitutional checks and balances to our government.
This can be done with H.R. 4956, the End Executive Overreach Act. This measure is simple — it eliminates all federal funds, fees, or resources that may be used to implement an executive order and prevents any agency from finalizing a major rule. These suspensions would end with the inauguration of a new president in January 2017, giving your elected representatives a clean slate next Congress.
The End Executive Overreach Act enjoys broad support both in Congress and from pro-growth advocates. The American Action Forum estimates this proposal would save Americans $76 billion in pending regulatory costs and 33.7 million hours in paperwork burden.
This president should not be allowed to impose his unpopular agenda without due process, particularly when that agenda comes at a cost to the American people in excess of trillions of dollars a year and the destruction of millions of jobs. The Constitution specifically gave Congress the power to create laws as a reflection of the will of the people they represent. Following the Constitution is a good place to start getting our great nation back on track.
Congressman Tom Price, M.D. (GA-06) Twitter: @RepTomPrice. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
