TOO MUCH REGULATION

"The Chamber emphasized the "regulatory tsunami" Washington has imposed over the past few years as one of the central problems. It is very concerned with the stress that last year's health care reform puts on businesses, citing the 159 new agencies, commissions panels, and other bodies the legislation creates. It also attacked the Dodd-Frank financial regulation bill. Here the Donahue cited big numbers too:

Dodd-Frank contains 259 mandated rulemakings, another 188 suggested rulemakings, 63 reports, and 59 studies. My grandchildren will be old and retired before it is all implemented.

He also worries about the Environmental Protection Agency's aggressive approach to rulemaking, citing 342 new rules in the process of being developed and completed. The Chamber said it is not against climate change rules, but wants Congress to impose them instead of the EPA.

What's so bad about all that regulation? It's tough to do business in an environment where the rules of the game are constantly undergoing major changes. It's like trying to ground yourself while the floor is shifting beneath you. So the first step, the chamber thinks, is to reduce the regulatory burden stifling the private sector from expanding and hiring."