Is the fox auditing the hen house?
In yesterday's Wall Street Journal, President Obama announced an executive order for a "government-wide review of regulatory agencies." The president wrote:
This order requires that federal agencies ensure that regulations protect our safety, health and environment while promoting economic growth. And it orders a government-wide review of the rules already on the books to remove outdated regulations that stifle job creation and make our economy less competitive.While President Obama correctly notes that many government rules make the economy less competitive, he fails to mention "reviewing" the job-killing regulations he helped pass, such as the Consumer Protection Bureau in the Dodd-Frank Bill or health care reform. Also, just last week the president touted tougher regulation for the oil industry as opposed to investigating the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement.
Reviewing and eliminating government regulations could help businesses create jobs, but to do that you actually have to review and eliminate government regulations. Let's hope the president's actions follow his rhetoric.
