Sen. Vitter Channels Reagan and Inspires Tea Party in Battle Against Federal Bureaucracy

By Kevin Mooney

Just prior to the one year anniversary of the moratorium on Gulf of Mexico, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) has announced the he will introduce the Agency Moratorium Act. The legislation would require congressional approval for expansion of federal regulations restricting energy exploration on federal lands and the Outer Continental Shelf that could provide domestic natural resources and generate revenue to the federal treasury that could be used to pay down the deficit.

In many respects, Sen. Vitter has picked up on one of the unfinished elements of the Reagan Revolution. Although the former president successfully expanded the private sector, he could never persuade lawmakers in either party to roll back the federal bureaucracy and eliminate federal agencies.

Sen. Vitter’s actions in this area should also inspire Tea Party activists who have expressed concern over the actions of runaway federal agencies. The transgressions of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) figure prominently into the equation and are already the subject of pending legislation. Vitter is aiming for the Interior Department and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regulation, which have both worked against the economic interests of the Gulf region.
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