[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 12 (Friday, January 20, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H416]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NOT ALL MANDATES ARE CREATED EQUAL

  (Mrs. LOWEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, unfunded mandates have gotten out of 
control. State and local governments have every reason to be 
frustrated. They do need relief. But we were elected and have a 
responsibility to do this right. Too much is at stake to just pass a 
bill without adequate hearings, without really listening to the people 
and say it is the answer and just ignore the consequences.
  Not every mandate is the same, but this bill paints them all with the 
same brush. Under this bill, a mandate to prevent communities from 
dumping toxic chemicals into rivers that then destroy bodies of water 
like Long Island Sound and an absurd requirement that New York City has 
to wash its jail cells three times a day are treated alike. Likewise, 
the authors of this bill make no distinction between mandates to 
protect our children from abuse and requirements on the format of 
government reports.
  Not all mandates are created equal, and this bill should not treat 
them the same. Over the next few days, we are going to discuss this 
issue.


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