North Country Congressman Bill Owens voted Thursday in support of the Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act.

The legislation bans the promulgation of “midnight rules,” includes numerous provisions intended to reduce or streamline the federal regulatory process, requires cost-benefit analyses of new regulatory proposals, and expands the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.

The bill passed the House of Representatives today by a vote of 245-172.

“Reducing unnecessary and burdensome regulation is just one of the many things we can do to support small businesses,” Owens said.

The Republican candidate in the 21st Congressional District hoping to unseat Democrat Owens, Watertown businessman Matt Doheny, urged Owens to support the Republican-backed measure limiting business regulation.

“Our current congressman votes for bills such as ObamaCare, which required - at last count - 12,307 pages of regulations,” said Doheny, the Republican, Conservative and Independence parties’ candidate. “He then compounds this big mistake by voting against the REINS Act, which would have reduced regulation by making elected leaders accountable for rules changes.”

Owens said, “I’ve been proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address many specific regulatory issues over the last two years, and I hope Congress can come together to find additional ways to support businesses in our communities, including leveling the playing field with China and ending tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas.”

The bill includes legislation previously cosponsored by Owens which enhances the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of new regulations to prevent adversely affecting economic growth.