HENSARLING CALLS FOR RETURN OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR GOVERNMENT

United States House of Representatives Jeb Hensarling has been busy while Congress has been on its Easter Recess. During the break Texas’ District 5 Representative has held several town hall meetings with constituents and met with newspaper editorial boards within his district. On Tuesday Hensarling sat down with The Kaufman Herald and discussed a variety of topics including the state of bureaucracy in America, The Affordable Care Act and the GOP presidential nomination.

Hensarling said he wants to make the federal government more accountable by removing power from some bureaucratic agencies – specifically the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Those agencies do not have the same accountability, the congressman said, as an elected official.

“I get a job review every two years,” he said, whereas people working for the Federal Government do not.

“Clean air is important,” Hensarling said, “But congress should be making the decision on air quality.”

Hensarling said he supports the Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, sponsored by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.

The bill has been introduced in the House and Senate three times before Paul reintroduced it in January.

The REINS Act would require that “regulations with a significant impact on the economy have to be proactively debated and voted on in Congress,” Hensarling said.

Opponents of the bill argue that gridlock in Washington could end up threatening standards and safeguards instated by agency experts.

Hensarling on the other hand said that government agencies have passed too many “needless” regulations have resulted in fewer start-ups and more small business closings.

“When that happens the lower and middle-class don’t get ahead.”

That and a Federal Government he described as “too large, too powerful, too expensive and too intrusive” is making many Americans uneasy and pessimistic about the future.

Hensarling was critical of the Obama administration, citing the president for creating many of the problems he sees in the Federal Government.

He was specifically critical of the Affordable Care Act.

“It’s even less popular now than it was when it was instated,” he said.

Hensarling said the law forces people into getting insurance they cannot afford.

“I think he is the single most liberal president of my lifetime, if not the history of the United States of America,” Hensarling said.

Next year’s presidential election will be critical, he said.

While he would not give an endorsement, Hensarling said he would be happy to see either Paul or Sen. Ted Cruz win his party’s presidential nomination. While Paul and Cruz were the only two Republicans to announce they are running on Tuesday, Hensarling said his party has a “deep bench” of potential presidential candidates.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is someone he would like to see run again. He mentioned Gov. Scott Walker, the two-term executive of Wisconsin and Paul Ryan as exciting potential candidates. Hensarling also said he would like to see Indiana Gov. Mike Pence throw his hat into the ring despite the national public criticism he has taken recently.

Before he makes an endorsement, Hensarling said it is important to see how candidates react to the national stage of a presidential race. Regardless of who wins, the Republican congressman said he plans on supporting his party.

As for whom the Democrats nominate, Hensarling said it “looks like it’s Hillary’s (Clinton) to lose.”

Hensarling has served in the House of Representatives since being elected in 2003. His term will expire in 2016.