Pharos Tribune - Rokita Looking to Cut Red Tape

News Article

By Mitchell Kirk

U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita visited Cass County Monday, Sept. 29, to learn how businesses could benefit from his initiative to scale back what he feels are burdensome federal regulations.

Rokita toured Tube Fabrication Industries Inc. and Pasquale Trucking Co., where he discussed the Red Tape Rollback plan, started by his office and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce in 2011. It sets out to mitigate what he calls "unnecessary and overly burdensome federal regulations" affecting the job market and the overall economy.

Tube Fabrications Industries makes parts for the automotive industry and has clients all over North America and competitors all over the world.

Rokita met with nine of the company's employees to talk about issues related to Red Tape Rollback, a program he said thrives on receiving feedback from constituents regarding what they feel are examples of excessive regulation so that his office can work to address them.

Such strategies include seeking legal action, writing letters and taking legislative actions to prevent the regulations in question before they're able to start, Rokita said.

Whether it's the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency including agricultural ditches in its definition of navigable waterways or a lack of consistency across industrial site inspections, "it gets the federal government right down into your lives even more," Rokita told the employees.

Much of the problem stems from a lack of precision in the kinds of laws the initiative seeks to roll back, Rokita continued. Were Congress to be more deliberate in the language used to make up these laws, less discretion would left to the unelected and therefore unaccountable regulatory agencies that enforce them, he said.

When Rokita pressed Tube Fabrication Industries employees for their concerns in this regard, Julie Ellis, the company's president, brought up the health care-overhauling Affordable Care Act. She said the company is not always clear on what to do, what doesn't apply to them, what applies to them and when it applies.

Rokita promised to get an answer that would apply directly to the company from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the coming weeks.

Ellis also referred to issues the company has had with tariffs in the past. Rokita said he would be willing to testify before the U.S. Department of Commerce on behalf of the company should similar issues arise in the future.

There are times when a business' biggest hindrance is their own federal government, Rokita said.

"If generally left alone, our work, effort and quality will be second to none," he added.

But not always, said those present at the meeting, going on to cite difficulties in securing dependable employees with strong work ethics.

Rokita questioned if it was programs providing unemployment benefits that create an environment for this kind of issue.

"Where does the safety net end and the hammock begin?" he said, adding that while he is not against programs providing unemployment benefits, he fears they may create a false sense of entitlement in those who abuse the system.

In the end, he called the visit constructive.

"I consider this work very vital," Rokita said. "It's where I get my marching orders. It's where I learn."

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