Obama Regulatory Czar Refuses to Testify on Employer Mandate Delay

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Phil Roe (R-TN) and Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) released the following joint statement today after Howard Shelanski, administrator for the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), declined to testify at an upcoming hearing on the employer mandate delay:

It is disappointing Administrator Shelanski has refused to testify on the administration's unilateral delay of the employer mandate. This was a significant decision affecting President Obama's signature health care law. It is deeply troubling to learn the office in charge of overseeing rules and regulations across the federal government wasn't involved in this decision. The American people deserve the facts and our oversight of this matter will continue. We look forward to hearing our witnesses next week discuss the effect of this decision on America's workplaces.

BACKGROUND: On July 2, the Obama administration announced through a blog post on the Department of Treasury's website that it would delay enforcement of the health care law's employer mandate for one year. On July 12, Reps. Roe and Walberg invited Administrator Shelanski to testify on the delay at a joint subcommittee hearing scheduled for Tuesday, July 23. In a call with committee staff earlier today, OMB staff said Shelanski would not testify. According to OMB staff, OIRA was not involved in the decision to delay enforcement of the employer mandate.

## #