[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 13 (Monday, January 23, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H486-H487]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   RURAL COMMUNITIES AMONG THOSE TO BENEFIT FROM PASSAGE OF UNFUNDED 
                          MANDATES REFORM ACT

  (Mr. LATHAM asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support 
for H.R. 5, the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
  On November 8 the American people sent a clear message that they were 
tired of having Washington pile ever-increasing mandates on their 
backs. The types of smaller rural communities such as those I represent 
bear the heaviest proportional burden of unfunded mandates. Instead of 
using their tight budgets to improve schools, police forces, or 
infrastructure, they have increasingly found themselves spending scarce 
dollars to satisfy Federal rules and regulations that have no positive 
impact on their communities.
  Mr. Speaker, we owe them our prompt support of this important reform 
bill. I hope we can lay aside the gutting amendments that have been 
[[Page H487]] filed on this bill, pass it promptly, and move on to the 
next important item on the people's agenda, the balanced budget 
amendment.

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