My Letter to Congress: H.R.10 REINS Act

I am writing as your constituent in the 2nd Congressional district of Wisconsin. I oppose H.R.10 - REINS Act, and am tracking it using OpenCongress.org, the free public resource website for government transparency and accountability.

Rep. Baldwin, your most-recent roll call vote on this bill was 'Nay'. I thank you.

Senators, I urge you to oppose the passage of this bill as it comes to the Senate. Regulation in-and-of-itself is not a bad thing, and this bill would cripple the ability of the Executive branch of the government to do its job--namely, to enforce the laws which you, the Congress, enact.

There is already a check-and-balance process to overturn Executive rules, which is working fine. This bill represents not a 'reining-in' of the Executive branch, but an overstepping of the Congress to have a greater say in how laws are enforced, which is the responsibility of the Executive branch.

Sincerely,
Eric Proces

Thank you for emailing me. I truly appreciate your taking the time to be
in touch. Listening to my constituents is a priority for me. If you are
a constituent and provided me with your full name and postal mailing
address, I will be responding to you as soon as possible.

If you have written regarding a problem you are having with a federal
agency, a caseworker in one of my district offices will be contacting
you shortly. If your problem is time-sensitive, you may also call my
Madison office (608-258-9800) or Beloit office (608-362-2800) for
immediate assistance.

If you are contacting me for information about tours for your visit to
Washington, DC, please call any of my offices and I will be glad to help
make your visit enjoyable.

Finally, I encourage you to further explore my website at
www.tammybaldwin.house.gov. Through it, you can sign up to receive my
e-alerts on news from the House, learn more about current issues before
Congress and find out what I have been doing to represent the people of
Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional district.

Thanks again for staying in touch!

Tammy Baldwin
Your Congresswoman

Dear Mr. Proces:



Thank you for letting me know of your concerns regarding the REINS Act.
I'm glad you contacted me and I would like to take this opportunity to
respond.



As you know, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced S.299, the Regulations
From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2011 (REINS Act). This
bill requires that Congress approve any executive branch regulation to
government agencies that have an expected annual economic impact of $100
million or more. The bill was referred to the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs, of which I am not a member. Please be
assured I will keep your comments in mind should the bill come to the
floor of the Senate.



Again, thank you for taking the time to write to me. Please do not
hesitate to contact me in the future should any further questions arise.
Sincerely,


Herb Kohl

United States Senator


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December 14, 2011





Mr. Eric Proces

1933 Browning Road

Madison, Wisconsin 53704



Dear Mr. Proces:



Thank you for contacting me about federal regulatory policy. It is good
to hear from you, and I apologize for the delay in my response.

Regulation is a basic function of government. Each year, federal
agencies issue close to 4000 final rules on topics ranging from food
and water safety to housing discrimination. Individuals and industries
affected by these have the opportunity to provide input on the crafting
of regulations by commenting on the proposed rules before they are
finalized. Proposed and final rules are published in the Federal
Register at www.gpoacess.gov/fr daily.

On December 7, 2011, the House of Representatives passed, over my
strong opposition, the Regulations From the Executive in Need of
Scrutiny ( REINS) Act of 2011, H.R. 10. This measure
would make it nearly impossible for federal agencies to perform
essential duties that keep Americans safe every day. You may be
interested to know that Democrats in the Senate have vowed to oppose
the measure.



The oversight of federal agencies is a Congressional obligation that I
take very seriously. Please know that I will keep your thoughts in mind
as I continue to support effective and efficient regulatory policy.



Again, thank you for sharing your views. Your opinion matters to me.
If I can be of service to you in any other way, please do not hesitate
to let me know. As a security precaution, all mail sent to Congress is
first irradiated. This process causes significant delays. To ensure
the fastest response, I encourage all constituents who have access to
the internet to contact me through my website at
http://tammybaldwin.house.gov .



Sincerely,



Tammy Baldwin

Member of Congress

P.S. I regularly send out email updates on federal issues and
opportunities. These reports also include regular surveys through which
you can express your opinion. If you would like to receive these email
updates, you may sign up by visiting my website at:
http://baldwin.congressnewsletter.net/mail/util.cfm?mailaction=profile

Dear Eric,



Thank you for taking the time to write me about immigration and border
control.



I believe the first step in dealing with illegal immigration must be to
secure our borders. Once we have gained operational control of our
borders, we will need to assess the size and composition of our illegal
immigrant population. This assessment will help us determine how to
handle the individuals residing illegally in our country.



Other than the shared fact that they entered our country illegally,
there will be a wide disparity of individual circumstances among these
people. I do not believe we should grant amnesty. Moreover, we should
not pass any laws that would create incentives for more illegal
immigration.



Illegal immigrants who engage in any criminal activity and those who
are abusing our welfare system should be prosecuted to the fullest
extent of the law.



However, I believe that children, those who were brought here as
children, and those who have lived long, law-abiding lives here should
be treated humanely on a case-by-case basis.



We are a nation of immigrants. I do have compassion for all those who
look to America as a land of opportunity and come here to work hard to
build good lives for themselves and their families. For most of us,
that's what our ancestors did.



Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts. It is
important for me to hear the views and concerns of the people I serve.
Since taking office, I have received over 300,000 pieces of
correspondence and have had over 150,000 people participate in live
forums and telephone town hall meetings. Please feel free to contact me
in the future if I can further assist you or your family. It is an
honor representing you and the good people of Wisconsin in the U.S.
Senate.







Sincerely,


Ron Johnson
United States Senator