On January 18th of this year, President Obama issued Executive Order 13563 calling on every federal agency to review their regulations to ensure they “promote predictability and reduce uncertainty,” “take into account benefits and costs,” and “identify and use the best, most innovative, and least burdensome tools for achieving regulatory ends.”However, independent agencies are not subjected to the executive order, and to date, only one has voluntarily implemented the requirement.

N/A

Today, following the President’s meeting with leaders of his Jobs and Competitiveness Council, the Blue Dogs once again urged consideration of the AMERICA Works Act, legislation introduced by Indiana Congressman Joe Donnelly and included in the bipartisan House “Make it in America” agenda. The bill, which has also been endorsed by the National Association of Manufacturers, would take significant steps to better match career training with real-world hiring needs, a stated objective of General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt and American Express CEO Ken Chenault, who are leading the Council’s efforts.

Today, Representative Mike Ross (D-AR), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications, issued the following statement on U.S. Representative Dan Boren’s announcement that he would not be seeking re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Today members of the Blue Dog Coalition, under the leadership of Congressman Ben Chandler (KY-06) and Congressman Tim Holden (PA-17), sent a letter to Dr. Donald Berwick, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), advocating that the agency eliminate unnecessary paperwork that is overly burdensome to home health care providers and consumers. Following is the text of the letter.Dear Administrator Berwick,

Today Congressman Ben Chandler (KY-06) and Congressman Tim Holden (PA-17), Chair and Vice-Chair of the Blue Dog Task Force on Oversight and Regulatory Review, issued the following statements in response to the announcement by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on the “Know Before You Owe” initiative, an effort to simplify the mortgage disclosure forms and seek input from consumers and community banks.The Blue Dogs recently sent a letterurging Dr.

Today members of the Blue Dog Coalition, under the leadership of Congressman Ben Chandler (KY-06) and Congressman Tim Holden (PA-17), sent a letter to Dr. Elizabeth Warren, Special Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, addressing overly burdensome financial regulations that slow job growth and fail to improve consumer protections. Following is the text of the letter.Dear Dr. Warren:

Today, under the leadership of Congressman Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Congressman Dan Boren of Oklahoma, the Blue Dog Coalition announced its official endorsement of H.R. 1325, The AMERICA Works Act, legislation that ensures workers have the skills America’s manufacturers need to compete. As Chair and Vice-Chair of the Blue Dog Task Force on Economic Growth, Donnelly and Boren are leading the Coalition’s efforts to promote common sense, middle-of-the-road policies that promote job growth and economic recovery.

Today, members of the Blue Dog Coalition announced their endorsement of H.R. 1380, the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions (NAT GAS) Act of 2011. The legislation, which has broad bipartisan support, would pave the way for consumers to change how they power their vehicles by encouraging private investment in natural gas refueling stations and by providing incentives for the production and purchase of natural gas vehicles.

N/A