Message to the Congress
on the Regulatory Program of the
To
the Congress of the
The
publication of the Regulatory Program of the United States Government is the
second in an annual series begun last year as part of our effort to improve the
management of regulatory activity within the Executive branch. A major goal of
this publication is to provide the public and the Congress with a greater
opportunity to learn about and evaluate our regulatory priorities and procedures.
The
Regulatory Program describes the 523 most significant regulatory activities
planned for the year ending
Federal
regulation is one of the most important and costly activities of government,
yet it has been managed even less systematically than government spending. Last
year, I established the Regulatory Program to complement the other programs I
put in place during 1981 to improve the quality and responsiveness of our
regulatory efforts.
We
have too little information on the benefits provided by the regulations we
promulgate each year and even less information on the benefits of those already
in effect. By developing better information on benefits, we can improve the
setting of priorities that truly meet the Nation's needs. The Program will help
us do that.
Moreover,
we have only rough estimates of the total costs of regulations -- ranging
between $50 billion and $150 billion each year. While the American people pay
such regulatory costs, they tend to be hidden in the prices consumers pay for
goods and services. These costs could grow even larger, as there will be a
tendency to maintain government programs through regulatory means when funding
is not available.
Today,
more than ever, it is essential for us to coordinate regulatory activity among
the agencies, to increase accountability for regulatory programs, and to ensure
that the most significant regulatory activities are given priority and are
properly managed. Only through a coordinated executive review can regulatory
activities provide the greatest real benefits to society as a whole.
Of
course, this Regulatory Program by itself cannot ensure that all regulation
will be well-conceived and beneficial to society. It can, however, highlight
important regulatory activities under consideration. Thus, this Regulatory
Program is an important addition to our wide-ranging efforts of regulatory
oversight and review -- designed to make government regulation the servant, not
the master, of the American people.
Ronald
Reagan
The
White House,