Last week, Georgia Democrats John Barrow and Sanford. D. Bishop, Jr. casted votes in favor of alleviating excessive regulatory burdens with minor procedural hindrances. Today, Georgia legislators have the opportunity to confront Washington’s over-regulation problem head-on, by supporting the Regulation from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act.

The REINS Act was inspired in 2009 when Kentucky activist Lloyd Rogers approached U.S. Representative Geoff Davis after EPA water regulations had doubled his county’s taxes without so much as a congressional vote. Unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats should not have the power to make laws in this country, plain and simple. This basic, founding principle is given to lawmakers who must account for their votes and listen to the voice of the people they represent.

Rogers challenged Rep. Davis with language from the U.S. Constitution which says “all legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.” Rep. Davis took this challenge to Washington and thus H.R. 10, the REINS Act, has become a centerpiece of the Republican House agenda.

Over the past several decades, regulatory powers (and billions of taxpayer dollars) have gradually slipped into the hands of unelected federal agents, hurting Georgia citizens and the overall economy. This trend has seen momentous acceleration under the Obama Administration—a Heritage Foundation 2011 report reflects that from January 2009 to March 2011, regulatory agencies imposed some 75 major new regulations, imposing some $38 billion of new costs annually on the economy and consumers.

The REINS Act reins in Presidential power, (power President Obama has abused over and over again) by removing the President’s ability to implement regulations without Congressional approval. Any major regulatory action would need to be approved by the House, Senate, and the White House before becoming policy.

The REINS Act is a critical effort that puts policy-making power in the hands of Georgia’s elected representatives rather than with unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats. Most importantly, the REINS Act gives power back to Congress where the Founders intended. REINS should serve as a warning to Congress to beware of legislation that would expand agency powers.

The REINS Act is certainly not a cure-all for Washington’s over-spending and over-regulation habits, but is a much-needed reform that restores the balance of power away from unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats and back to Congress and Georgians a voice in the regulatory process.
Joel Aaron is the Grassroots Director of Americans for Prosperity.