[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 8 (Thursday, February 3, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
           A HISTORIC MOMENT IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

  (Mr. MICA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, yesterday when you, my colleagues, voted by a 
significant margin to defeat the rule, the traditional course of 
business in the House of Representatives was altered.
  This I believe was a historic action and hopefully a turning point. 
For even a casual observer of our proceedings will note that an idea--a 
new concept won the day. That is remarkable in a Chamber where 
seniority and raw political power often reign.
  Maybe it was the influence of 2 months of being home with the people 
who sent us here. Somehow a commonsense idea like risk assessment won 
the hearts, minds, support, and votes of you, my colleagues.
  Together we made a statement that this Nation cannot continue to be 
choked by aimless Government regulation. We came together to say that 
there is a better way to conduct the business of the people, especially 
today with our limited Federal resources that are taken from the toil 
and hard work of our citizens.
  A commonsense idea prevailed that we should conduct an examination of 
the potential risk and the cost to the taxpayer and weigh that 
carefully against the benefit to public health and safety and the 
welfare of our environment.
  Even powerful partisan forces and bureaucratic turf protectors were 
cast aside for an idea whose time has come.
  Those who lost this vote should not view this as a defeat, but rather 
an opportunity. If we work together to restructure Government, we can 
incorporate new ideas. We can make Government and the regulatory 
process work. We can do better job in managing our human and 
environmental resources. We can together offer hope to people who now 
view the conduct of our Government with only despair.

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