Prior to leaving Washington for its week-long Memorial Day recess, the House of Representatives approved legislation, eagerly sought by the business community, that would require Congress to be better informed on the potential impact of new legislative mandates. Called "The Mandates Information Act," the bipartisan measure would require the Congressional Budget Office to provide data on the impact of proposed legislation, after it comes out of committee, that clamp mandates on the private sector.
The measure "is about good government, jobs, and competitiveness," said U.S. Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Bruce Josten in praising the House action. "Mandates on the private sector impose an enormous burden on small business, working people, and consumers." Cost of off-budget mandates, he added, is estimated at some $700 billion annually.
