Watch out for the regulatory cliff

With all the media attention on fake Twitter followers, socially conservative corporate executives and a congressman’s inflammatory comments about rape, the recent slowdown in federal regulations has flown under the radar. But people should be paying attention. Over the past four months, the Obama administration has issued new regulations at a pace of 16 per month, down from its pace of 22 per month during 2009 and 2010. That downward trend could have major implications for the economy.
It’s especially significant because of the uptick in regulatory costs during the first half of President Obama’s term. According to a Heritage Foundation report, “From the beginning of the Obama administration to mid-FY 2011, regulators have imposed $38 billion in new costs on the American people, more than any comparable period on record.” Many of the early regulations stemmed from the Dodd-Frank Act, the Affordable Care Act, and EPA rules designed to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.
However, the slowdown appears to be temporary, because it’s largely the result of the administration’s decision to delay implementation of several major regulations until after the November election. If President Obama is re-elected, a dozen postponed major regulations could hit the economy at the same time, an event that would have serious economic consequences.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/09/10/watch-out-for-the-regulatory-cliff/#ixzz269gE26ET