Hudson: Fed up with bad news, scandals and cover-ups

If you’re like me, you’re fed up with the bad news, scandals and cover-ups continually coming out of Washington.

From the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) using the “dog-ate-my-homework” excuse to ducking responsibility, to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) failing to provide adequate care for our heroes, our government agencies continue to disappoint hardworking individuals and families.

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson This Week in Washington

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson
This Week in Washington

It was reported this week that the U.S. economy declined at a sharper pace in the first quarter than previously estimated, shrinking at an alarming annual rate of 2.9 percent. This is the biggest drop and the worst performance since 2009, due in large part to the federal government’s misguided policies and overregulation.

We see government stifling economic growth in every industry. In the energy sector, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) forces 2,827 new final regulations totaling approximately 24,915,000 words — that’s 38 times as many words as the Bible! Federal agencies and bureaucrats run amok without accountability, and Americans are sick of it.

Just this week, a fellow North Carolinian commented on my Facebook, “People are really struggling to make it and most of Washington is wearing their rose-colored glasses.” I hear your concerns and I will not stop fighting until you have a federal government that works for you.

This starts with rooting out the waste and abuse in federal spending and holding federal agencies accountable. The size of our massive bureaucracy continues to be a wet blanket on job creation and economic growth. I’m determined to changing course by getting government out of the way so that our small businesses can thrive and hardworking people can find good jobs. Our federal agencies are run by folks who don’t understand how small businesses operate. They impose more rules, more regulations and more red-tape which makes it harder for businesses to hire.

I’ve heard from small businesses and employers in our district, and one agency that has recently raised concerns is the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC is an independent federal agency tasked with a noble mission to protect workers and job-seekers from employment discrimination.

Lately, however, the EEOC has overstepped its bounds by levying numerous cases found to be frivolous, groundless and baseless that has caused undue burdens on numerous businesses and industries. In one case, a federal judge ordered that the EEOC pay a company nearly $4.7 million to cover attorney’s fees and expenses after the EEOC brought suit on nearly 150 claims that were never properly investigated and were found unreasonable and without merit. This places an unnecessary strain on businesses that impacts their ability to grow and create jobs. It is critical that Congress provides meaningful oversight to certify that the EEOC stays focused on carrying out its core mission.

This week, I introduced the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Transparency and Accountability Act (H.R. 4959). This legislation would require the EEOC to post on its website and in its annual report an array of information to promote transparency. Doing so would increase transparency and accountability for this agency to help ensure that the agency fulfills its duty to protect and adequately balances the interests of both employers and workers.

There is no doubt that the EEOC requires oversight to ensure that it carries out its agenda of equal employment opportunity fairly and adequately. Like you, I am fed up with our federal agencies continually shielding their actions and dissuading proper oversight and review. This legislation will enable Congress to provide meaningful oversight to certify that the EEOC stays focused on carrying out its core mission.

Government doesn’t create jobs. Federal bureaucrats have no business placing arbitrary rules and regulations on our job-creators and entrepreneurs, especially without proper oversight. I will continue to work to scale back our bloated bureaucracy and make sure government works for you.

Richard Hudson, a Republican, represents the 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes a small part of Mecklenburg County and takes in all or parts of the counties of Cabarrus, Union, Randolph, Rowan, Davidson, Stanly, Anson, Montgomery, Richmond, Scotland and Robeson.

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