[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 20 (Wednesday, February 1, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E249]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  UNFUNDED MANDATE REFORM ACT OF 1995

                                 ______


                               speech of

                        HON. WILLIAM J. MARTINI

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 30, 1995

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5) to curb 
     the practice of imposing unfunded Federal mandates on States 
     and local governments, to ensure that the Federal Government 
     pays the costs incurred by those governments in complying 
     with certain requirements under Federal statutes and 
     regulations, and to provide information on the cost of 
     Federal mandates on the private sector, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mr. MARTINI. Mr. Chairman, I rise this evening to congratulate my 
colleagues for passing H.R. 5, the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 
1995.
  Monday in my hometown of Clifton, NJ I met with local officials to 
talk about the importance of this legislation. Most of us know how 
difficult it is to be a local official, I can tell you I know first 
hand. I have had to deal with unfunded mandates first hand.
  As we dealt with this bill on the House floor, the burden of unfunded 
Federal mandates did not go away. Local governments are still toiling 
under their yoke, losing money by the minute in manpower and paperwork 
complying with one-size-fits-all regulations from Congress.
  Take my home State of New Jersey for example. Just recently we 
avoided what would have amounted to one of the most costly mandates in 
the country. As a commuter State, New Jersey was faced with drastic 
measures to slow the growth of automobile emissions in order to comply 
with one of the most infamous unfunded mandates on the books, the Clean 
Air Act.
  In order to meet the rigorous standards of the act, the Environmental 
Protection Agency informed New Jersey that it must use a new, unproven 
testing system. The State itself was not supposed to have any input on 
the testing method, but rather meekly submit to the commands of the 
EPA.
  What did this do to New Jersey drivers? Well, it simply set up a 
system in which they could not win. First, they would have to take an 
emissions test that almost
 every car was expected to fail. Then, they would have to pay $300 to 
$400 each to repair their cars only to take the test again. 
Fortunately, the State was able to head off EPA sanctions at the last 
moment and avoid the imposition of such a test.

  I will give another example. As I stated before, I came to Washington 
as a former local official, on both the municipal and county levels. On 
the county level, I met with special frustration when confronted with 
unfunded Federal mandates.
  As the Passaic County Freeholder Board moved to restructure a 
government that, just like everywhere else, had its inefficiencies, we 
were continually confounded by obligations placed on us by Washington. 
I led the fight to reorganize the county health administration, and a 
little initiative and persistence paid off: I was able to shave 
$107,000 from that department's budget. Due to similar efforts from my 
fellow Freeholders, we were able to reduce county spending by 7 percent 
in 1993.
  But, as you may have already guessed, the Passaic County taxpayers 
could not directly reap the rewards of the frugal actions of the 
Freeholder Board. In 1993, we were actually forced to raise taxes. That 
part of our county budget that was mandated from above went up 10 
percent, even faster than we could cut discretionary spending.
  I am sure many of my colleagues have had similarly frustrating 
experiences. Stories like these have to stop, and I believe they soon 
will.
  With the passage of H.R. 5, this House took a major step in the right 
direction. But the fight against unfunded mandates is far from over. 
You see, H.R. 5 is first and foremost an accountability measure.
  There is nothing in this bill that says Congress may never pass 
another unfunded Federal mandate again, it only makes sure that 
Congress knows exactly how much its legislation costs. Because of this 
we have to remain vigilant over the next 2 years and continue in the 
spirit of H.R. 5 by refusing to pass the buck down the line.
  I congratulate this body as a whole, my colleagues on the Government 
Reform and Oversight Committee, and especially the distinguished 
chairman of the committee, Mr. Clinger, for their strong leadership on 
this vital issue. You have all done your country a great service today.

[[Page E249]]

                       SENATE COMMITTEE MEETINGS

  Title IV of Senate Resolution 4, agreed to by the Senate on February 
4, 1977, calls for establishment of a system for a computerized 
schedule of all meetings and hearings of Senate committees, 
subcommittees, joint committees, and committees of conference. This 
title requires all such committees to notify the Office of the Senate 
Daily Digest--designated by the Rules Committee--of the time, place, 
and purpose of the meetings, when scheduled, and any cancellations or 
changes in the meetings as they occur.
  As an additional procedure along with the computerization of this 
information, the Office of the Senate Daily Digest will prepare this 
information for printing in the Extensions of Remarks section of the 
Congressional Record on Monday and Wednesday of each week.
  Meetings scheduled for Thursday, February 2, 1995, may be found in 
the Daily Digest of today's Record.

                           MEETINGS SCHEDULED

                               FEBRUARY 3
     9:30 a.m.
       Joint Economic
         To hold hearings on the employment-unemployment situation 
           for January.
                                             2359 Rayburn Building

                               FEBRUARY 7
     9:30 a.m.
       Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
         To hold hearings to examine what tax policy reforms will 
           help strengthen agriculture and agribusiness.
                                                            SR-332
       Armed Services
         To hold hearings on United States national security 
           strategy.
                                                            SR-325
       Budget
         To hold hearings on the President's economic plan.
                                                            SD-608
       Governmental Affairs
         To hold hearings to examine regulatory reform issues.
                                                            SD-342

                               FEBRUARY 8
     9:30 a.m.
       Budget
         To hold hearings on the President's fiscal year 1996 
           budget for the Federal Government.
                                                            SD-608
       Governmental Affairs
         To continue hearings to examine regulatory reform issues.
                                                            SD-342
     10:00 a.m.
       Judiciary
         To hold hearings on pending nominations.
                                                            SD-226
     2:00 p.m.
       Select on Intelligence
         To hold closed hearings on intelligence matters.
                                                            SH-219

                               FEBRUARY 9
     10:00 a.m.
       Indian Affairs
         To hold oversight hearings to review challenges facing 
           Indian youth.
                                                            SR-485

                              FEBRUARY 10
     9:00 a.m.
       Judiciary
         To hold hearings on the national drug control strategy.
                                                            SD-226
     10:00 a.m.
       Small Business
         To hold hearings on the future of the Small Business 
           Administration.
                                                           SR-428A

                              FEBRUARY 14
     9:30 a.m.
       Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
         To hold hearings to examine how to reduce excessive 
           government regulation of agriculture and agribusiness.
                                                            SR-332
       Indian Affairs
         To hold hearings on proposed legislation authorizing 
           funds for fiscal year 1996 for Indian programs.
                                                            SR-485

                              FEBRUARY 15
     2:00 p.m.
       Judiciary
       Antitrust, Business Rights, and Competition Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine the court imposed major 
           league baseball antitrust exemption.
                                                            SD-226

                              FEBRUARY 16
     9:30 a.m.
       Indian Affairs
         To continue hearings on proposed legislation authorizing 
           funds for fiscal year 1996 for Indian programs.
                                                            SR-485
     10:00 a.m.
       Labor and Human Resources
       Children and Families Subcommittee
         To hold hearings to examine the effectiveness of the 
           Federal child care and development block grant program.
                                                            SD-430

                              FEBRUARY 23
     2:00 p.m.
       Indian Affairs
         To hold oversight hearings to examine the structure and 
           funding of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
                                                            SR-485

                                MARCH 2
     10:00 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
           year 1996 for the Department of Transportation.
                                                            SD-192

                                MARCH 9
     10:00 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
           year 1996 for the National Transportation Safety Board.
                                                            SD-192

                                MARCH 16
     10:00 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
           year 1996 for the Federal Highway Administration, 
           Department of Transportation.
                                                            SD-192

                                MARCH 23
     10:00 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
           year 1996 for the Federal Railroad Administration, 
           Department of Transportation, and the National 
           Passenger Railroad Corporation (Amtrak).
                                                            SD-192

                                MARCH 30
     10:00 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
           year 1996 for the Federal Aviation Administration, 
           Department of Transportation.
                                                            SD-192

                                APRIL 27
     10:00 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
           year 1996 for the Federal Transit Administration, 
           Department of Transportation.
                                                            SD-192

                                 MAY 4
     10:00 a.m.
       Appropriations
       Transportation Subcommittee
         To hold hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal 
           year 1996 for the United States Coast Guard, Department 
           of Transportation.
                                                            SD-192
Vol. 141


WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1995

No. 20


House of Representatives