By Jan Norman for the Orange County Register -- Rep. Ed Royce, R-Fullerton, wants to know what local employers really think of government regulation.

So he's asking for "California job creators and innovators" to describe how government impacts their businesses at AmericanJobCreators.com, a website initially launched by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

"For years, Washington has been busy tying the hands of businesses across this nation with regulations and backward fiscal policies that have slowed entrepreneurship and destroyed jobs. It is time to reverse that trend," Royce said.

"The goal is to gain insight from job creators," he said. "For Congress to address some of the impediments, we need to hear from the business innovators. If we can streamline the regulations, we can get people working again."

Royce noted that Cass Sunstein of the Obama administration's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, recently testified before the House Government Oversight Committee that 43 new federal regulations will cost $28 billion in compliance costs.

"That's the administration's estimate," Royce said. "The (Environmental Protection Agency) has said that it doesn't even consult business about the cost of the regulations it imposes."

One constituent wrote Royce that he used to have five or six employees and he has reduced that to one because of government regulations, the congressman said.

"And a Riverside company told me: 'I always knew that my biggest challenge would come from my competitors. I never thought my biggest competitor would be my own government. From taxes to fees to air pollution regulations from the EPA it's a wonder how any business could thrive in this country.'"

Royce said several colleagues including Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, and Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, also also seeking business comments about government regulations.