Conservatives may be concerned that government is growing, but people from all sides of the political spectrum should be concerned about how government is growing. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act creates 47 new bureaucratic entities, and the individual mandate on health insurance may be unconstitutional. This Act, however, is not an isolated example of how our current leaders are expanding the role of government. The creation of more government bureaucracy, the shift of power away from the people, and the questionable constitutionality of new legislation is becoming a trend.
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act also creates a new agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and the leader of this agency will be able to make regulatory decisions traditionally voted upon in Congress. Some experts are now questioning the constitutionality of this move.
As Americans, we should all be concerned that decisions that impact our financial institutions will be left to one powerful individual. Our founding fathers came to this “new world” to foster democracy and transparency in government. According to an article at The Daily Caller, the new director of the CFPB will only answer to two advisory boards, members of which will be appointed by the director. This sounds like something King George III would have done – pick a few members of his court to “oversee” him. Oh, and Congress doesn’t have to approve the budget for the CFPB either.
We cannot be lazy and watch our leaders take advantage of their power. It is part of our nation’s founding principles to hold government responsible to the people. If the government wants to create oppressive new rules and regulations, this will be displeasing to conservatives who favor less intervention from government. But if the government wants to multiply itself by creating new bureaucracy on every side in every aspect of American life – this should upset us all.