Rep. Bill Owens voted with Republicans on a bill that probably won't become law, stepping on a Democratic talking point while he did it.

Mr. Owens, D-Plattsburgh, was one of only 13 Democrats who joined 232 Republicans in voting to approve the Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act. The bill would freeze any major regulations until the unemployment rate is above 6 percent.

The logical conclusion, then, is that regulations are the reason that unemployment is so high.

“Reducing unnecessary and burdensome regulation is just one of the many things we can do to support small businesses,” Mr. Owens said in a news release after the vote today.

A spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee suggested in a tweet yesterday that the bill would harm workplace safety.

It was in response to Republican Matt Doheny calling on Mr. Owens to vote for the bill.

The two face off on Nov. 6.

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