Washington (CNN) The invisible hand might control the free market -- but it also might not be washed.

During a question-and-answer session at the Bipartisan Policy Center on Monday -- posted online by C-SPAN -- the freshman North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis was riffing about the United States being "one of the most regulated nations in the history of the planet."

He told the story of a conversation he had at a Starbucks in his old state legislative district, where he said businesses should be able to "opt out" of some requirements.

His conversation partner said some regulations -- like public health requirements, such as requiring restaurant workers to wash their hands -- are necessary.

But Tillis disagreed, saying it's an example he could use to "illustrate the point."

Read More