Hartzler: It's time to unleash the private sector

The weekly report of Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo. says it is time for the federal government to unleash the private sector to get this economy going:

We returned to Washington this week after spending a good deal of time back home in the 4th Congressional District. I love the district work weeks which have been scheduled for us as they give me the chance to meet so many citizens of the 4th District. But, of course, we must return to Washington to do the people’s work and we did so this week to pass some very important pieces of legislation.


First and foremost I joined a truly bipartisan effort to keep our federal government up and running and to try to bring about some fiscal responsibility through passage of what is known as a continuing resolution - or a CR. This is a temporary measure that was necessitated by the failure of the previous Congress to pass a budget for 2011. It's only a two-week measure as the Senate refused to even consider our earlier bill to keep the government funded through the end of the year. Rest assured, I remain committed to honoring my pledge to bring some good old fashioned Missouri common sense to Washington. We will soon resume negotiations to convince the Senate to do as the House has done – listen to the will of the people! Simply freezing spending at its current levels is reckless and irresponsible. We must take solid action now if we are to save our children and grandchildren from being saddled with mountains of debt.

This was also a week in which the House listened to big and small businesses which have told us they want to see the removal of the 1099 tax reporting provision that was slipped into the ObamaCare health care legislation last year. I heard from the businessmen and women I met last week at a Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry event in Jefferson City how much of a burden this requirement is – especially for small businesses. The mandate creates huge costs and headaches and a lot of unnecessary red tape. Our goal, as stated all along, is to unleash the private sector to allow entrepreneurs to do what they do best – create jobs and prosperity. We create the right environment for success by keeping taxes low and by holding off the job-crushing regulations that are hurdles to business success. Keep in mind that federal regulations, according to the Small Business Administration, cost the private sector an unbelievable $1.75 trillion last year. For many small Missouri companies with fewer than 20 people that regulatory compliance works out to an average of $10,585 per employee!

My main job in Congress as the person representing the 4th District is to create an environment that will make it easier for businesses to put people to work. We are on our way to accomplishing that by rooting out waste, fraud, abuse, and duplication among federal programs. Remember, to create jobs and to protect future generations from bankruptcy we have to change the culture that embraces out-of-control spending and address our spending-driven debt crisis.

On a humorous note, the Republican Study Committee’s first Golden Turkey Award for absurd and obscure government regulations has gone to an EPA ruling subjecting dairy farmers with spilt milk to a law intended to deal with oil spills. What these Washington bureaucrats could do with a little Missouri logic!