[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 24, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H553]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       MORE ON UNFUNDED MANDATES

  (Mr. WELLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, soon the House of Representatives will wrap 
up debate and vote on H.R. 5. But since debate on the floor began, it 
is clear the bill's opponents just do not get it. The supporters of 
unfunded mandates continue to argue that if there was no big brother, a 
Federal big brother, America's children would be subjected to all sorts 
of horrible things. They seem to be saying Washington cannot trust the 
State Governors and legislators with these responsibilities. Well, the 
taxpayers know better.
  It is time to change that same mentality that has governed this town 
for the last 40 years. State Governors and elected officials were 
chosen, and the taxpayers are being belittled by Members of this body 
for those choices.
  Apparently, the only people who know how to clean the water or take 
care of the children are those whose credentials are backed by the 
Federal bureaucracy. How unthoughtful to those State and local 
officials and to the voters who decided to change to a new way of 
thinking at both the State and Federal levels. It is time to give local 
officials a little credit and adopt the unfunded mandates legislation.


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