The American Action Forum (AAF) examined the “unified agenda,” which lays out “regulatory priorities” for the next year, and was released shortly before Thanksgiving.
The report documents regulations for 2014 from Obamacare, the EPA, Department of Energy, and others, revealing a regulatory system on “autopilot” that covers everything from calorie postings in vending machines to efficiency standards for portable air conditioners.
The agenda includes 15 new “major” rules, which will cost at least $100 million per rule. Some of the more wide-ranging regulations, such as the Volker Rule, a banking regulation under Dodd-Frank financial reform, are not even included in the cost estimate.
The agenda outlines regulations that the administration is currently working on and hopes to finalize in the next year. Although it is likely some will be delayed, Sam Batkins, director of regulatory policy at American Action Forum, said the cost to the economy will depend on how quickly, or how slowly, agencies actually finalize regulations.
“Regulations, more or less, operate like hidden taxes,” Batkins told the Washington Free Beacon. “Last year the administration admitted that we had about $30 billion in new regulatory burdens, and that’s just from cabinet agencies. Our estimate from all agencies was a little bit higher.”
“But that’s $30 billion, that’s roughly the same amount that taxes increased this year, with higher income and capital gains taxes, and higher Medicare taxes, as well,” he said.
(Click link below to read more)
READ MORE Sphere: Related Content
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment