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Show THE VOICE OF BUSINESS Congress musv ccv on ivs ovher agenda By Richard L. Lesher President Chamber of Commerce of the United States Can the federal government walk and chew gum at the same time? Budget Director David Stockman posed this blunt question to a Congressional panel recently during one of his many grillings on Capitol Hill. In the full glare of network television lights. Congressional opponents of the administration ad-ministration were having a field day attacking the President's federalism initiative as a diversionary tactic to steal headlines from the unemployment problem. The beleaguered budget director was challenged to show how many jobs the federalism proposals would create. He might have answered, "More jobs than this dog and pony media show will create." But he didn't. Instead. Mr. Stockman properly suggested that it was foolish to claim that the entire machinery of government could focus only on one concern at a time. If there is a game of diversion being played, it is not coming from the administration ad-ministration but from politicians on Capitol Hill whose public hand-wringing hand-wringing sessions about joblessness appear to be designed to both score points with the folks back home, and divert attention from the conservative agenda for which the people voted in 1980. It is time to forge ahead Many issues demand swift action by Congress. Here are just a few: Federalism Initiative: As promised. President Reagan has not locked the details of his major governmental realignment in place until he has had a chance to fully consult affected state and local officials. But his concept of returning dozens of federal programs over to states and localities, along with the tax revenues to pay for them, is long overdue and should be on a fast track in Congress. In 1964, federal grants to states and local governments totaled $10 billion. By 1930, they exceeded $90 billion, with a confusing mess of rules, regulations and paperwork requirements attached. By designing and operating more of these programs closer to home, we can eliminate a whole layer of bureaucratic fat, and provide better services at a cheaper cost. Clear Air Act: This landmark environmental en-vironmental legislation, passed in 1970. expired last September 30th. Ironically, enactment of a new law is being stalled by some of the most fervent self-styled environmentalists. Democratic Representative Thomas Luken has introduced a reponsible bill with strong bipartisan cosponsorship that would both protect the air and eliminate many of the unnecessary' costs in the old act that are costing American jobs. The bill is supported by a broad-based broad-based coalition of business and labor groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Unfortunately, one of the key committee chairmen with jurisdiction over this effort. Sen. Robert Stafford iR-Vt.) is moving at a snail's pace. Omnibus Regulatory Reform Act: Supposedly a coequal leg of the President's economic recovery program, regulatory relief has bea playing third fiddle behind budget ard tax issues for too long. It is tine to move ahead to streamline the federal rule-making process, with an eye toward eliminating those regulatias that are wasteful or too costly. A pi place lor Congress to start is to on-plete on-plete action on the Omnibus Regulator Reform Act, which would empower 2 President to set standards fx ager,cy rule-making and require icdependei and executive branch agencies consider the relative costs and beoj of all proposed rules before they n instituted. Export Trading Companies: Tie House of Representatives mist speed up consideration of legislation to es-courage es-courage the formation of export tn companies by clarifying antitrust ls? and allowing bank participation. Ties organizations would go a kr.g iy toward providing opportunities f small and medium-sized businesses become active participants in tl export markets. This measure, which has aif-aiy been passed by the Senate, has tees stuck in the House Judiciary Cca-mittee Cca-mittee for months. This is difficult to understand, given representative' expressed concern for jobs. Passsj l this legislation, which would t practically cost-free to taxpayers, would enable businesses to compete a a more " even footing' with our ternational economic .rivals and fcs. increase exports andxreate jobs |