Regulations have gotten so bad we mostly don't even talk about them anymore.
That's a huge problem, because red tape is the number 1 thing that can derail our reindustrialization efforts, our nuclear resurgence, and our energy independence.
Your host Jim Vinoski tackles the problem head-on, discussing the extensive impact of red tape regulations on American manufacturing and energy sectors. He highlights the staggering growth of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which expanded from 130,800 pages in 2000 to over 190,000 pages by 2023. Studies by Mark and Nicole Crain for the National Association of Manufacturers reveal that federal regulations cost the U.S. economy over $3 trillion, with an average annual compliance cost of $277,000 per firm. Manufacturing firms, particularly small ones, bear a significant burden, with costs per employee ranging from $24,800 to $50,100.
Jim concludes by emphasizing the need for radical regulatory reform to support reindustrialization and energy production.
Links:
The Pacific Legal Foundation's page on the Code of Federal Regulations: https://pacificlegal.org/the-cfr-a-190000-page-monument-to-executive-overreach/
NAM's summary on the cost of regulations: https://nam.org/issues/regulatory-and-legal-reform/
The full NAM report by Nicole and Mark Crain: https://nam.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NAM-3731-Crains-Study-R3-V2-FIN.pdf
The American Action Forum's report on nuclear regulatory costs: https://www.americanactionforum.org/research/putting-nuclear-regulatory-costs-context/
Jim Vinoski's recent Substack on the total cost of regulations in industry: https://manufacturingtalks.substack.com/p/the-unseen-costs-of-regulations
