Masonry Magazine November 2004 Page. 11
If we are going to help American businesses to compete globally and hire U.S. workers, we must streamline regulations and reduce the costly burdens of bureaucracy and red tape.
Lawsuit Abuse Prevention Act combats forum shopping by requiring that personal injury cases be brought only where the plaintiff resides, where the plaintiff was allegedly injured, or where the defendant's principal place of business is located.
However, recognizing that action to dissuade frivolous lawsuits should not negatively impact legitimate cases in which citizens seek recourse through the judicial system, the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act does not change the standard for determining whether a lawsuit is frivolous. It focuses exclusively on frivolous lawsuits and does not affect legitimate cases.
The U.S. House of Representatives is working to encourage economic growth, job creation and international competitiveness by ending the practices that keep our economy from thriving. By increasing the sanctions for frivolous lawsuits and preventing "forum shopping" for high jury awards, we are headed in the right direction.
The House of Representatives has also recently worked to tackle overregulation. While the Bush administration has made tremendous strides in curbing the growth of federal regulations, overregulation is still hurting jobs. In fact, the total burden of environmental, economic, workplace and tax compliance on the economy is approximately $850 billion.
If we are going to help American businesses to compete globally and hire U.S. workers, we must streamline regulations and reduce the costly burdens of bureaucracy and red tape.
The Voice of the Mason Contractor
The Paperwork and Regulatory Improvements Act, legislation that passed with overwhelming support, took a significant step toward accomplishing these goals. The legislation focuses on reducing paperwork and making the federal regulatory process more efficient and responsible. This "good government" bill provides Congress with needed oversight of the Executive Branch's cost-benefit estimates for regulations and their consistency with Congressional intent.
Finally, the House of Representatives passed four measures designed to reform the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA regulations are among the most complex and difficult legal mandates imposed on employers. The legislation addressed issues such as OSHA litigant equality, OSHA structural reform and responsible enforcement.
Over the last several months, Congress has joined the President in working to end practices that hamper the ability of U.S. businesses to compete in a global economy. In addition to lawsuit abuse and government red tape, we have addressed energy security, educational and technological competitiveness, tax simplification and health care.
Each of these efforts is part of a long-term, comprehensive plan to make our nation a more attractive place to do business and hire workers. American taxpayers and American businesses deserve nothing less.
Congressman Pete Sessions (R-Dallas) serves as a Member of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, where he sits on the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness and Response and serves as Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Science, and Research and Development. Congressman Sessions also serves on the House Rules Committee, chairs the Results Caucus, and has led the change in the effort to provide people with disabilities with the services and opportunities that will help them to realize their potential.
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November 2004
Masonry
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