Delaware Businesses Leaders Discuss Partisanship in Washington and Federal Regulation with U.S. Sen. Tom Carper

WILMINGTON, Del. – More than 30 small business owners, manufacturers and community leaders met this morning with U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) to discuss partisanship in Washington and federal regulation.

In a tour and business roundtable at Masley Enterprises in Wilmington, local business leaders shared their stories and offered input on the Affordable Care Act and how regulations could be issued, reviewed, and enforced to ensure worker and environmental protections while also enabling local businesses to grow and create jobs.  Sen. Carper and the participants also discussed the challenge of getting things done in an increasingly partisan Washington.

Senator Carper, the senior senator from Delaware, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee, which oversees personnel and management issues across the federal government said, “One of the best parts of my job as a Senator is getting to meet regularly with my constituents to hear about the issues that are important to them and how I can be helpful.  Today’s conversation with local business leaders about the challenges and opportunities they face, and how my colleagues and I in Washington can help create a nurturing environment for job creation, was valuable and informative.  I have always believed that we don’t have to choose between having strong economic growth and strong regulations to protect our workers, our environment and our public health; we just need to strike the right balance between these important priorities by using some common sense. The Obama Administration has taken some meaningful steps to improve federal rule making to ensure that they are as efficient and effective as possible, but I always appreciate getting feedback from my constituents on what is working and where we can continue to improve our efforts. I think today’s conversation was helpful in that regard.”

Richard Heffron, the interim president of the Delaware State Chamber, said “Our members aren’t looking to get rid of regulations; we just need a smarter regulatory process. We need a system that does a better job of anticipating the impact that a new rule will have on businesses and manufacturers before it is implemented. A streamlined process, with greater transparency, will give our job creators the freedom to reinvest and expand their operations. I appreciate Senator Carper’s willingness to meet with our members today.”

Added Tim Boulden, of Newark-based Boulden Brothers Plumbing, Propane, and Heating & Air Conditioning,  “The U.S. Small Business Administration’s study, ‘The Impact of Regulatory Costs on Small Firms,’ said the total annual cost of following the rules for a small business is $10,585 per employee, or about $2,830 more than a large business. That can be a huge burden.  The number of new and existing regulations we face every day  put a significant strain not only on me, but also the people I work with. I’d like to thank Senator Carper for meeting with us and listening to our concerns and our suggestions.” 

Jessica Cooper, the Delaware state director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), talked about her organization’s focus on making sensible changes to the regulatory process.  “Regulations play a critical role in safeguarding our member businesses, their customers and the community at large,” Cooper said. “But increasingly, the regulatory process has been more of an impediment to businesses with more than 3,000 federal rules in the pipeline today. New rules are drafted without consideration or review of the compounded impacts with other regulations. We need to ensure that the government works with businesses of all kinds to better address their needs.”