Political Hotsheet
By

Stephanie Condon /

CBS News/ October 26, 2011, 4:33 PM

Obama has fewer but more costly regulations than Bush

US President Barack Obama speaks during the rural economic forum at Northeast Iowa Community college in Peosta, Iowa, August 16, 2011, as US President Barack Obama arrives during his three-day bus tour in the Midwest centering on ways to grow the economy. AFP PHOTO/Jim WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) Getty Images

President Obama has approved fewer regulations than President George W. Bush did at this point in his presidency, according to Bloomberg News -- but Mr. Obama's have been costlier.

In his first 33 months as president, Mr. Obama has approved 613 federal regulations, Bloomberg reported after reviewing data from the White House Office of Management and Budget. By comparison, Mr. Obama's predecessor had approved 643 new rules within the same time span.

However, Mr. Obama has approved 129 rules that cost more than $100 million, compared with 90 such rules under Mr. Bush. That's in part due to inflation, Michael Livermore, executive director of the Institute for Policy Integrity at the New York University School of Law, told Bloomberg.

Focusing on major pieces of legislation like Mr. Obama's health care overhaul, Republicans have blamed the Obama administration for weighing down the economy by hampering businesses with too many regulations.

Liberal economists dispute that notion.

"Why should businesses expand when they're not using the capacity they already have?" asked Nobel laureate Paul Krugman in a New York Times column last month debunking the Republican talking points.

In August, House Speaker John Boehner questioned the Obama administration about the number of regulations it has proposed with a projected economic impact of at least $1 billion. And in his first television ad, Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry says he'll revive the economy in part by "eliminat[ing] President Obama's regulations that hurt... sources of domestic energy."

As Bloomberg notes, some business owners are concerned about regulations -- 18 percent of small business owners surveyed by the National Federation of Independent Business called regulation their most important problem.

Mr. Obama has responded to concerns about government waste and inefficient regulations by calling for a government-wide regulatory review. In August, the White House unveiled a plan to eliminate some regulations and simplify others, which they said could save more than $10 billion over five years.

© 2011 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
10 Comments Add a Comment
linkicon reporticon emailicon
Jake3535 says:
First of all conservatives don't know anything about the economy, so any OPINION from some place like the Koch brother's CATO, or Heritage foundation is nothing but corporate propaganda.

On to this article. The article says they regulations cost 100 million more... SO WHAT!!! Our economy has a 14 trillion dollar gdp.That is .0000007%.

This article is really pointless. The labor department released a report today and basically it said that regulations issued under Obama have accounted for 0.2% of layoffs. Essentially nothing. Regulations don't have an effect on job loss or gain only distribution.
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
quest777 says:
I thought regulations were stopping corporations from hiring!
GOP, we cannot wait until 2012. People are hurting NOW!
reply
Smokey75 replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
What in the article makes you think regulations aren't hurting business?

Is it the quote from the "Liberal Economist" serious lets ask these so called liberal economist how many businesses they have run?
jahwalks replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
Can you say ' President Obama'?
linkicon reporticon emailicon
stn_sage says:
Listen! It's NOT about HOW MANY regulations are or are not passed!

Or, HOW MUCH they cost! Because you can be sure, these bought off
politicians, are going to minimize how much it costs their "friends"!

What it's about is the QUALITY of the regulation!

A dozen GOOD regulations that plug gaps that allow corporations
to hide or protect BILLIONS of dollars, or, allow the system
to SURVIVE, are better than 129 regulations that DON'T!
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
RobAla says:
This is absolute hogwash!!!!! The idiotic health care law alone is packed massively with new regulations and expenses on businesses!!!!

What a load!
reply
34sender replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
Rob is making sure the "fog of misinformation" keeps blowing on and on about the PPACA.

Sorry Robbie, people are liking the law -- the ones who are currently positively affected (seniors in the donut hole are among that "likely voter" model!) love it and more will as it unfolds.

You are such a propagandist, your "hogwash" is an objective man's truth!
linkicon reporticon emailicon
34sender says:
When facts are presented, the lies in the GOP rhetoric are revealed.

It won't matter to the people who hang on every spin and talking point... they have decided what to believe, facts be damned.

Every time I hear or see these words "punishing taxes and regulations" or "job creators" ... I KNOW I am listening to or reading the words of a LIAR. Period.
reply
Smokey75 replies:
linkicon reporticon emailicon
So you think costly regulation has no effect on a companies ability to higher employee's? You can't possibly be that stupid?
linkicon reporticon emailicon
ladyang says:
Say it ain't so - that one of the neocons/teabagger favorite rant against the president!

OBAMA/BIDEN 2012!
reply