That was the start of a mostly performative tweet-thread wondering whether the expense of complying with the “edicts of these agencies is really justified,” and arguing that:
“Many of those naming federal regulatory agencies they couldn’t live without — for example, the USDA —rely on the supposition that states are simply incompetent and couldn’t do what the federal government can.”
And:
“Standards for food safety, for example, wouldn’t suddenly disappear if federal regulations in this area were phased out. A combination of private and state food-safety standards would take the place of federal regulations.
“Sure, they might be different in some states than others, but would that necessarily be a bad thing?”
Here’s your challenge, America. Answer this sitting Republican senator’s sincere question and name a federal regulatory agency that has made your life better. Tell him why having 51 different versions of that regulatory agency—or, of course, only a state-by-state handful—would not work “at a state or local level” or by a theoretical “nongovernmental body.”
The man sincerely wants to know, so help him out here.
Hell yeah! Election season is already here, and it’s already off to an amazing start with Democrats’ huge flip of a critical seat in the Virginia state Senate, which kicks off this week’s episode of The Downballot. Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard dissect what Aaron Rouse’s victory means for November (abortion is still issue #1!) when every seat in the legislature will be on the ballot. They also discuss big goings-on in two U.S. Senate races: California, where Rep. Katie Porter just became the first Democrat to kick off a bid despite Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s lack of a decision about her own future, and Michigan, which just saw veteran Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow announce her retirement.
