Rep. Carter would ban all new regulations in Obama's first term

Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) said Tuesday night he would introduce a bill this week that would prohibit any new regulation from being issued by the federal government in President Obama's first term.

"I think it's time we just put a big old hold on the regulatory agencies, and tell them that unless this is of major national importance, we don't think there ought to be any regulations for the balance of this Congress," Carter said on the House floor. "So I am proposing a bill for an outright ban of all new federal regulations through the remainder of the Obama administration."

Carter acknowledged that his proposed bill is "kind of a nuclear weapon," but said drastic action is needed because regulations coming out of the current administration are thwarting the private sector.

"In this period of time when we're trying to bring our job numbers up and our unemployment numbers down, this would give the country an opportunity to take, at least in one area, a deep breath and relax that the regulators are not going to change the playing field on them," Carter said.

Carter has spoken frequently about excessive regulations, and on Tuesday night he controlled an hour of floor time on this topic. Carter noted that the House on Wednesday would take up a bill aimed at easing the regulatory burden on pesticide users.

The House will take up H.R. 872, which would reverse a court decision that said pesticide use is regulated by the Clean Water Act in addition to a federal pesticide law.