Representative Brad Finstad, R-Minn., emphasizes the need to keep regulators in check, prompting the introduction of the Prove It Act, designated as HR7198.
“I’m a farmer and a small-business owner,” Finstad said. “I’ve seen firsthand and heard numerous stories of the negative effects of government overreach when it comes to overly protected regulations and the rulemaking process.”
The primary objective of this legislation is to shield small businesses from government overreach and excessive regulation by compelling federal agencies to assess the impact of their regulatory actions on small enterprises.
“What does the rule say? How do we comply with this rule? How do we meet this regulation? What we’ve found is that it’s costing Americans billions of dollars each year,” Finstad said. “Since 2009, it’s estimated that it’s over $730 billion and over 480 million hours in paperwork time added to our small businesses.”
While the Prove It Act has broad implications for various industries, its resonance is particularly strong among small-business truckers, constituting 96% of motor carriers in the United States.
“The owner-operator or farmer or small independent business owner who is the most adversely affected in this regulatory climate,” Finstad said. “Because they don’t have the HR department. They don’t have the regulatory department. They don’t have the lawyers. They don’t have the staff to help them navigate the rules and regulations.”
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) lends its support to the Prove It Act, recognizing the overwhelming regulatory burden faced by small-business truckers.
“It’s always changing,” said Finstad, who holds a commercial driver’s license. “Just when you think you’ve caught up to the new climate of the new regulations and rules to comply with, there’s another harebrained idea coming at us tomorrow. It’s just so hard to keep up, especially if you’re that small independent.”
A notable example of regulatory excess, as highlighted by Finstad, is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) proposal to mandate speed limiters on most commercial motor vehicles.
“This is another harebrained idea that comes from folks who have never been in a semi,” he said. “To restrict speed and to have government intrusion right into our business office creates an unsafe environment.”
To counter this, Finstad has joined as a co-sponsor of the DRIVE Act, a legislative measure aimed at preventing the FMCSA from advancing any rulemaking that mandates speed limiters on heavy-duty trucks.
Despite the vocal opposition from thousands of truck drivers against mandatory speed limiters, FMCSA is expected to unveil a formal proposal in May. It’s important to note that Congress has not enacted any law requiring speed limiters, and the agency is attempting to push through this regulation independently.
“I’m one of the few members in Congress who has a Class A CDL, so it brings a little street cred to that conversation,” Finstad said. “When the bureaucrats tell me how things should or shouldn’t work, I can ask them if they’ve been behind the wheel. ‘Have you ever had to drive a truck with a 53-foot trailer? Have you ever had to haul a thousand bushels of corn to market?’ If the answer is no, you better start talking to the people who do it.”
With the recent addition of Representative David Rouzer, R-N.C., as a co-sponsor on Feb. 28, the House version of the DRIVE Act now boasts 37 co-sponsors. OOIDA actively encourages its approximately 150,000 members to advocate for the DRIVE Act by reaching out to their lawmakers. Truck drivers can conveniently contact their representatives through OOIDA’s Fighting For Truckers website.
Source: Land Line
