[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 11 (Thursday, January 19, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H373]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



[[Page H373]]
                              {time}  1530
              SUPPORT H.R. 5, UNFUNDED MANDATE REFORM ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Goodlatte). Under a previous order of 
the House, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Martini] is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Mr. MARTINI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to revisit a topic that has 
been receiving a great deal of attention recently and to once again 
voice my strong support for the reforms endorsed by my colleagues in 
the Government Reform and Oversight Committee.
  I refer in general to the issue of burdensome unfunded Federal 
mandates placed on States and localities, and specifically to H.R. 5, 
the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995, the bill our committee just 
passed and the one the House as a whole will consider this week. With 
the flow of Federal mandates that has flooded our local 
governments over the last 40 years, H.R. 5 will mark the high water 
point from which we will begin to bail our people out.

  It appears as if the Members of Congress are finally coming to the 
realization that they do not legislate in a vacuum. They are beginning 
to see that many of their ``feel good'' laws and regulations actually 
impact local governments in very real and all too often unfortunately 
very negative ways.
  Congress did not choose to pay for these regulations. Rather, it has 
for years forced somebody else to pick up the tab, namely States and 
localities.
  This practice represents the height of fiscal irresponsibility and 
the old style of doing business that the Nation rejected in this last 
election. I firmly believe that it is exactly this kind of reform my 
constituents sent me here to address. They want Congress to be 
accountable to the people, and that is what I am determined to do.
  The expensive nature of these mandates is well documented. In some 
instances, the prohibitive costs of Federal mandates exceed entire 
local Government budgets. And before complying with these regulations, 
municipalities must first provide the essential basic services like 
sanitation, law enforcement, and education, that properly fall under 
their jurisdiction. It is little wonder that the U.S. Conference of 
Mayors, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the National 
Governors' Association are adamant in their support for this 
legislation.
  My constituents are angry, Mr. Speaker, and it is not simply because 
the Federal Government taxes them too much. To be sure, cutting taxes 
is another important issue that this Chamber will address soon. My 
constituents are angry because their local property taxes are also too 
high, and continue rising as I speak. This upward swing in local taxes 
can be attributed in large part to unfunded mandates, and it is simply 
not fair. It is not fair to our constituents, who must shoulder the 
extra burden for programs of questionable value, and it is not fair to 
local officials, who act responsibly and are forced to hike their 
constituents' taxes despite their best efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I reiterate my support for H.R. 5, the Unfunded Mandates 
Reform Act of 1995. The voters spoke loudly and clearly on November 8. 
They demanded a smaller, smarter, and less costly Government. With the 
passage of this very important bill, this body will demonstrate to the 
American people that here in Congress we are beginning to solve our 
Nation's problems, not with the heavy hand of regulation, but with the 
responsible hand of partnership extended to our colleagues on the State 
and local level.

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