the impact on small businesses. >> commissioner northup? but i unfortunately have had [inaudible] we had no matter what the regulatory analysis is, if you decide in every agency that you should go ahead and regulate, it's almost it has no impact in what we do. so unless we are required to justify the cost with the benefits, adding that to it i think that would be an important improvement, but other than that, it's a box we check -- and it doesn't have an effect. >> i checked the consumer product safety act. everybody in congress voted for it under the bush administration except one and that was ron paul. so you probably would have been like most -- >> i'm sure he would have and like i said when i first read it before my confirmation, i was really very excited about it. >> commissioner mcdowell? >> i think statutory action is the best way to cut through this lot of regulations and provisions that have built up over the years and so i would be happy to work on something like that. >> commissioner wellinghoff, chairman? chairman stearns? >> as

in other words, anne northup to get hired in any law school -- in order to get hired you have to push for a federal judge and you have to come with a brahman degree, therefore the only opponents within the category to be of people from elite schools. do you agree that is essentially the only front that is open to counter this trend? >> i think that's very well put. and the problem of bad ideas at harvard or yale, there being harvard or yale scholars. it isn't a matter of a few range 10 more ordinary law schools together you of some of balance out one harvard or other top 10 school. and ideas have consequences. we always find -- getting back to that same point which is one must have id is better qualified to best the other side ideas and debate. spreading money or, had a greater organization fair, you know, networking and third place are all helpful and all may help people who deserve to succeed from falling by the wayside, but nothing would substitute. >> christine from cei in the front row. >> hello. so, i'm wondering what you think, what your thoughts might be on whether some of the

northup? is particularly nice to have a former member. i appreciate -- >> thank you. >> chairman stearns and ranking member degette, thank you so much for the a opportunity to testify and i am delighted to be back on capitol hill with you. i have great respect and appreciation for the challenges you face every day at the decisions that you made. i do appreciate the opportunity to come and give you some idea of what it looks like from the other side from a regulatory agency. you just heard an excellent history and review of the consumer product safety commission and the past the way they operated primarily through the development of the voluntary guidelines through the risk assessment and intervention when there were real risks based on science and the ability to intervene when there were dangerous products. however, all of what was said about the reviews and as our regulations and the reasonableness of that changed in 2008 when the consumer product safety improvement act went into effect. and in fact, very little of that would be present