Volume 141, No. 20 covering the 1st Session of the 104th Congress (1995 - 1996) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“UNFUNDED MANDATE REFORM ACT OF 1995” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E249 on Feb. 1, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
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.
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 39:30 a.m.
Joint Economic
To hold hearings on the employment-unemployment situation for January.
2359 Rayburn Building
FEBRUARY 79:30 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 89:30 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-34210:00 a.m.
Judiciary
To hold hearings on pending nominations.
SD-2262:00 p.m.
Select on Intelligence
To hold closed hearings on intelligence matters.
SH-219
FEBRUARY 910:00 a.m.
Indian Affairs
To hold oversight hearings to review challenges facing
Indian youth.
SR-485
FEBRUARY 109:00 a.m.
Judiciary
To hold hearings on the national drug control strategy.
SD-22610:00 a.m.
Small Business
To hold hearings on the future of the Small Business
Administration.
SR-428A
FEBRUARY 149:30 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 152:00 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 169:30 a.m.
Indian Affairs
To continue hearings on proposed legislation authorizing funds for fiscal year 1996 for Indian programs.
SR-48510:00 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 232:00 p.m.
Indian Affairs
To hold oversight hearings to examine the structure and funding of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
SR-485
MARCH 210:00 a.m.
Appropriations
Transportation Subcommittee
To hold hearings on proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 1996 for the Department of Transportation.
SD-192
MARCH 910:00 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 1610:00 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 2310:00 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 3010:00 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 2710:00 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 410:00 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
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