[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 11 (Thursday, January 19, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H374]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1540
                           UNFUNDED MANDATES

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE. Mr. Speaker, I come here today to talk about a very 
important issue that impacts the 17,000 towns and cities that I have 
had the honor of being involved with as a city council member but also 
as a member of the board of directors of the National League of Cities. 
We must protect our Nation's cities from any tendencies this governing 
body may have of shifting the cost of federally mandated programs to 
our lower levels of government. I have been there. I know what it means 
to balance the budget. As a former member of the Houston City Council, 
I can testify to those frustrations and the hard work they put in when 
we attempt to work with the needs of our community.
  The local government must face the times when they have to have a 
strict budget and a budget that complies with the laws of that 
particular community. So there must be a need to understand the burden 
it puts on those local jurisdictions when Congress dictates legislation 
that they have to pay for.
  My concerns over the issue of unfunded mandates arise particularly in 
light of current debates over the past decade of a balanced budget 
constitutional amendment. If the amendment is passed, Congress will be 
forced to tighten its financial belt, which is something that none of 
us would argue as unnecessary.
  But at the same time, we all know that Congress will continue to make 
laws and many of these laws will undoubtedly carry with them the 
mandate of enforcement without the backing of the Federal check if we 
do not pass a protective law such as the one we are passing today on 
unfunded mandates.
  However, I think there are concerns we raise on H.R. 5, and that is 
we all want to have clean water; we want to have safe food; and we want 
to have a fair working standard. So it is important that we must not 
overburden our local governments.
  Yes, we must not overburden our local governments to pay for 
regulatory matters sent down from the Federal Government that are 
unfunded, but shall we outlaw regulations which are partially funded? 
Regulations which are important protective measures for our 
environment, health, and safety?
  We do need to look at the issue of unfunded mandates, especially as 
they may pertain to the increased frequency expected to accompany a 
passed balanced budget amendment. We must also stop to realize that we 
cannot fully fund all of the measures that we need to pass, and that 
perhaps we can send them to the local governments at least partially 
funded rather than the current trend of sending them unfunded.

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