[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]

 
                          A VOTE FOR FAIRNESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Mica] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I come back to the floor this evening to 
address the House and my colleagues, first of all to say thank you to 
so many that supported our action here today, because today, hopefully, 
we cast a turning point in the conduct of the House of Representatives. 
But it wasn't one minority freshman Member who came to this floor to do 
this by himself. I would be remiss if I didn't take time to thank first 
of all some of my colleagues, beginning with Mr. Condit from 
California. Mr. Condit waded in in the committee and worked with us. We 
had the votes in the committee to win this issue. And he didn't turn 
back. So I want to take this opportunity to thank him.
  And Mrs. Thurman from Florida, the gentlewoman from Florida. She went 
to the Committee on Rules and lent her name to this effort, and 
together we were defeated. And she didn't give up, and she continued. I 
know she had tremendous pressure from the White House and others, but I 
would also be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity to thank her.
  I am so especially grateful to Mr. Tauzin from Louisiana, who last 
night in the lonely hour of a special order before the House, when he 
came down in support, after we knew we had lost some support during the 
day, but he bolstered our forces and he stood forth for the principles 
that he felt were so important. So I want to thank him.
  And Mr. Dooley, from California, who brightened our day with a Dear 
Colleague letter, also expressing his concern about the direction that 
this House was taking on the question of regulatory reform, and in 
particular on elevation of EPA to a cabinet level position.
  I would also be remiss if I did not take a minute to say that I want 
to thank the organizations throughout the country that came together to 
make possible the defeat of this suppressive rule that did not address 
the important question of cost benefit and risk assessment in the EPA 
elevation. The Governors Association, even with pressure on that group 
from the White House and other corners, still supported this action. 
The National Conference of State Legislators, the National Association 
of Counties, the county officials in the more than 3,200 counties 
around the country that took the time to contact their local officials 
and try to impress on the Congress the importance of taking an action.
  The National League of Cities, the city mayors, we had the individual 
mayors from 49 States support this action. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce 
and their representatives and small chambers throughout the country who 
also supported this. The National Association of Manufacturers, the 
Associated General Contractors, the National Association of 
Homebuilders, National Federation of Independent Businesses, the 
American Farm Bureau Federation, the Agricultural Retailers 
Association, the Fertilizers Institute, the National Association of 
State Departments of Agriculture.
  And then the local groups, the National Association of State Fire 
Marshals and National Association of Neighborhoods, the inner city 
groups, and others too numerous to mention.
  Let me say that your voice was heard here today in these Halls, and I 
appreciate so much the support that made this possible. What took place 
here is really a small event for the House of Representatives but a 
larger event, because the country, all of these groups and individuals 
have said, is choking on government regulation. And somewhere, like I 
said before the House, we have to say, why not now? If not now, when?
  And today was when. So we have an opportunity to work together in a 
bipartisan fashion, not to destroy any gains we have made in 
environmental protection. And I am very sensitive that we do go forward 
and we try to do the best with limited resources that we have and that 
we craft together, in a bipartisan fashion, an amendment that will 
develop a way to look at the cost, the risk and the benefit, because, 
again, we only have limited sources. And we can do a better job in 
cleaning up our environment and then taking the limited resources that 
we have as a nation and a Congress and applying them to the inner 
cities and to the people who really need the attention and assistance, 
not to be sent on some wild chase that does not make sense at high cost 
to the taxpayer who is paying the bill.
  In conclusion, I do want to again take this opportunity to thank my 
colleagues. We have important work before us. We must bring a solid 
cost-risk benefit provision here before this House. We must pass it, 
and we must give some regulatory relief.
  The American people and this Congress accept no less.

                          ____________________