[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 7 (Wednesday, February 2, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    UNFUNDED ENVIRONMENTAL MANDATES

  (Mr. CLINGER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CLINGER. Mr. Speaker, State and local governments have high hopes 
that 1994 will bring real relief from the burdens of unfunded Federal 
mandates. This week our Nation's Governors are in town and the No. 1 
topic of conversation is how do we get Congress to provide us with 
relief.
  It is timely then that for the first time we will discuss the issue 
of unfunded mandates on the floor if we consider H.R. 3425, the 
Department of Environmental Protection Act of 1993.
  A survey conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors shows that of the 
top 10 unfunded Federal mandates, 8 are environmental. Costs to cities, 
which does not include costs to States or small local governments, is 
projected to be more than $50 billion over the next 4 years. Often 
these costs are simply passed onto taxpayers.
  All of us support protection of human health and the environment. 
However, State and local governments are going bankrupt trying to 
implement every environmental regulation without any flexibility or 
fiscal support.
  I will offer an amendment to H.R. 3425 as a first step to help State 
and local governments. My amendment directs the new Department to 
promote a strategy, consistent with environmental laws, to ease the 
burden of unfunded environmental mandates. The Secretary would identify 
areas of flexibility where it exists as well as any other means to 
assist State and local governments.
  Let me repeat, the amendment requires that the strategy must be 
consistent with environmental laws so that all environmental 
requirements must still be met. The strategy would promote effective 
alternatives of State and local governments struggling to comply with 
rigid, complex mandates which dictate not only what they must do, but 
also how they must do it.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to carefully examine and support 
this common sense amendment. Let us take a step in the right direction 
towards helping State and local government with these burdens.

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