Western South Dakota News

U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) recently addressed the Senate floor, expressing his concerns about the impact of the Biden administration's regulatory policies. Thune argued that these regulations have led to a surge in costs for families, farmers, and small business owners, and have also posed a threat to American energy security.

"Mr. President, regulations have been coming thick and fast from the Biden administration lately as the administration races to squeeze in regulations before the deadline after which they could be overturned by a new Congress," said Thune.

Thune highlighted that the total regulatory costs imposed by the Biden administration in 2024 exceeded $1 trillion. Since taking office, President Biden has reportedly imposed regulatory costs amounting to $1.47 trillion.

Comparatively, at this point in his term, President Trump had reduced regulatory costs. When comparing President Biden's regulatory burden with his Democratic predecessor, President Obama had imposed regulations costing $303.5 billion during the same period of his first term.

In terms of practical implications of these regulatory costs, Thune cited several examples: forcing electric generation facilities to install costly carbon capture systems under the new power plant rule; an additional $7,000 in construction costs for new homes due to energy efficiency requirements for affordable housing; imposing new vehicle emissions standards which compel car companies to overhaul their supply chains and factories; and forcing farmers and ranchers to spend substantial amounts on permits or penalties concerning water features on their private land under the "waters of the United States," or WOTUS rule.

The senator further emphasized that these regulatory costs have real-world consequences for families and businesses alike. He cited examples such as families facing unexpected medical bills having to adjust their spending or income; nursing homes needing to hire additional staff due to federal requirements potentially reducing patient numbers or closing down; small businesses grappling with increased overtime exemption thresholds leading them to increase prices or reduce positions; and power plant regulations likely resulting in higher energy prices and less reliable energy supply.

"Mr. President, we are facing serious consequences from the Biden regulatory regime – from threats to conscience rights to questions about the future stability of our energy supply to immense financial costs for families and businesses," Thune concluded.