[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 13 (Monday, January 23, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          UNFUNDED MANDATES DEVASTAT- ING TO RURAL COMMUNITIES

  (Mr. CAMP asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss how unfunded mandates are 
particularly devastating to rural communities throughout the country. 
In Michigan, for example, the estimated costs for fiscal year 1994 as a 
result of 12 major unfunded mandates was nearly $400 million.
  For example, municipal water systems in my district are required by 
the EPA to follow the same drinking water tests as Hawaii to monitor 
for a herbicide used on pineapples, which are grown only in Hawaii. 
Municipal water systems in Michigan are not only required to report 
these chemicals not found in the water supply, but they have to pay for 
it as well. This is wrong.
  This example is just one of hundreds of costly, unnecessary, unfunded 
Federal mandates that leave Washington and fall into our backyards at 
home.
  If there is one theme, one goal of the 104th Congress, it must be to 
become more accountable. No longer should we be able to pass 
legislation, pat ourselves on the backs, and pretend it did not cost 
the taxpayers a dime. The reality is that we leave it to our States and 
our communities to shoulder the burden and those days must end.

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