One of the biggest issues facing small business, and especially marine retailers, is the continuing movement in the federal government to over regulate. MRAA would prefer that many federal regulations simply be eliminated, but a key first step is to simplify the process.

Three key House bills with companions in the Senate have been reported out of the House Judiciary Committee and are waiting for floor action. These three bills passed the House in the last Congress but the Senate failed to act on them. Over 300 trade associations back the three bills. The bills would provide significant reforms to the regulation process, from how rules are made to how permits are granted in a timely manner.The bills help to reduce the “behind the closed doors” process seen by many businesses in the current process when agencies issue new rules with no notice to the business community.

The three bills are:

· H.R. 2641, the RAPID Act, sponsored by Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA). This bill is designed to create more efficient permitting especially for environmental decision making, empowers a lead agency to manage environmental reviews from start to finish, including setting deadlines, identifying a range of best management practices, and accepting a broader range of relevant existing documents, and directs all the agencies involved in the rule to work concurrently to complete the review process.

· H.R. 2122, the Regulatory Accountability Act, sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA). The bill would modernize a rule procedural act last passed by Congress in 1946.

· H.R. 1493, the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act, sponsored by Rep. Dug Collins (R-GA). The bill brings greater transparency to the “sue and settle” process.

MRAA believes these three bills would overhaul the regulatory writing process and streamline the permitting process by placing deadlines on federal agency reviews preventing the abuse to small businesses evident in rulemaking. Without significant changes, the rulemaking process will continue to delay many projects, from property expansion to permitting for NPDES.

Hill staff expect the three House bills will see floor action in October or November. No action is expected in the Senate until next year.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) is asking Members of Congress to sign his letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Dear Colleague,” to lower the renewable fuel standard. MRAA supports this letter and has asked retailers and trade associations to encourage their Member contacts to also sign the Goodlatte letter.

The RFS mandates that 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels be used in our nation’s fuel supply by 2020, with as much as 15 billion gallons of the mandate being fulfilled by corn ethanol. In 2014, the mandate is estimated to be 18.15 billion gallons of renewable fuel of which approximately 14.4 billion gallons will be made up by ethanol.

The government has one tool that can provide immediate relief from the RFS. The law gives the EPA Administrator flexibility to reduce the required volume of renewable fuels in any year. While the EPA has consistently refused to use this authority, the supply realities should be the impetus for long awaited action by the EPA when setting volume levels according to the Goodlatte letter. Prompt action by the EPA can help to ease the short supply concerns.

Other concerns with the current EPA RFS mandate include increases to food prices, feed prices, and transportation costs.Due to the dramatic expansion of corn ethanol, volatile corn prices have led to the conversion of millions of acres of sensitive land into the production of corn. Despite promised environmental benefits when the RFS was implemented, the National Academy of Sciences has noted the overall ethanol production and use lowers air and water quality.

“MRAA supports Rep. Goodlatte’s efforts to prevent further damage to inboard engines and outboard motors,” said Matt Gruhn, President of the MRAA. The MRAA believes prompt action by the EPA can help to prevent further marine engine damage and save many jobs. It’s time for the EPA to take the necessary steps to protect American consumers and the economy.

The Federal government has shutdown, and Democratic and Republican leaders are not bending in their discussions on how to achieve fiscal responsibility. Concern is deepening in financial markets, and among businessmen, about the potential for a U.S. default of its debt.In just one day this week interest rates rose, making it twice as expensive for the federal government to borrow short term.

The key to the blockage of extension of the debt ceiling is a strategy of using the federal budget to dismantle the president’s health care law, commonly known as Obamacare. This has also slowed progress for approval of federal appropriations for the new fiscal year.

It is clear no one wins from this battle. However, it is clear that small business and concessionaires on federal properties are losing. Access to federal lakes and parks has been closed, denying boaters and anglers their ability to recreate. In addition, hunting season on federal properties should be opening across the nation, but access may be denied there too. Reacting to pressure, the House of Representatives has approved 11 bills along Party lines to partially fund favorite causes, but the Senate has refused to consider them, opting instead for a Continuing Resolution that would fund the entire government.

So What’s Next? With barely a week to go until the next big deadline, when the federal government runs the risk of not being able to pay its bills and its debt obligations, Congress appears to be preparing for several more days of partisan posturing—with no signs of negotiations to solve the fiscal crises.

The Senate and House continue down separate legislative paths. The House is expected to continue to pass a series of small spending plans to fund popular government programs daring the Senate to reject these funding bills.The shutdown has greatly reduced committee staff so most hearings have been cancelled. The Senate has given no indication of taking up any of these bills.The Senate is drafting legislation to give the Treasury Department more flexibility to borrow without specifically breaching the debt limit law. The Senate Democrats want a “clean” debt extension bill raising the limit by $1 trillion.

MRAA will continue to watch these efforts closely, and will continue to advocate Congress open lakes, reservoirs and lands important to boating and fishing recreation.