[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 39 (Thursday, March 2, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E496-E497]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                               H.R. 1022

                                 ______


                            HON. DAVID MINGE

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 2, 1995
  Mr. MINGE. Mr. Speaker, on February 28, 1995, Mr. Johnson of South 
Dakota submitted comments regarding H.R. 1022, the Risk Assessment and 
Cost-Benefit Act. I share Mr. 
[[Page E497]] Johnson's views and wish to restate them for the record. 
I voted for H.R. 1022 yesterday as a means of allowing the debate to 
continue. Like Mr. Johnson, I find the bill flawed and in need of much 
improvement by the Senate or conference committee. If the bill is not 
improved, I will not be able to vote for its final passage. Overall, I 
support the general thrust of requiring risk assessment and cost-
benefit tests for Federal regulations. However, like the gentleman from 
South Dakota, I believe that the current version of this legislation 
will lead to costly increases in Federal bureaucracy and litigation, 
and possibly pose a risk to public health and safety. The House 
leadership seems more concerned about making political statements with 
this bill than in crafting legal language that would actually serve the 
public interest. I am optimistic, however, that this issue will receive 
more deliberate and responsible consideration in the Senate, and I 
believe it should now be moved to the Senate for that consideration. 
Again, I want to make it clear that like Mr. Johnson, I will not vote 
for final passage of this legislation unless significant improvements 
have been made.


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