Staff Reports
The House Committee on Small Business is not happy with the Department of Labor. In a letter to the agency, the committee expressed their frustration with the department’s refusal to discuss proposed rules with Congress. The committee had previously sent a letter in July, asking for more information about two proposed rules and their impact on small businesses. However, the Labor Department cited internal policy and declined to answer the committee’s questions.
Chairman of the Small Business Committee, Roger Williams, wrote in the letter that the department’s refusal to provide information hampers the committee’s ability to carry out its legislative function. He stated that the committee’s role is to review regulatory burdens on small businesses and determine how they can be alleviated. By not providing the requested information, the Labor Department is hindering the committee’s ability to do its job.
House committee requests information as to why Labor Department won't comply with requests https://t.co/UaoC5QdHZF
— joyce_macri (@MacriJoyce) November 3, 2023
Now, the committee is demanding more information on the department’s internal policy. They have sent six questions and requests for information to the department, with a deadline of November 16 for a response. The committee wants to know the department’s policy on sharing information with Congress and when this policy was implemented. They also want an explanation for why the department believes sharing information with Congress about proposed rules is improper.
In a statement, Chairman Williams expressed his disappointment with the Labor Department’s policy. He believes that not discussing proposed rules with Congress limits the committee’s oversight and undermines the interests of small businesses. He hopes that the department will reverse this policy to increase transparency and trust in government agencies.
