Political Quotes

“I will be voting in opposition to the conference report to S. 1, because the problems I had with the bill as it passed the Senate have not been resolved or abated in the conference report. I had hoped to be able to support legislation this year to address the unfunded mandates problem of State, local, and tribal governments. I was a cosponsor of last year's bill, S. 993, which was wholeheartedly endorsed by all the organizations representing majors, Governors, State legislators, county officials, and other local elected officials. Last year's bill would have forced Congress to estimate the costs of Federal mandates and authorize appropriations to the level of the estimated costs. In the words of the State and local officials last year, it was a tough, important, meaningful bill. Having served on the Detroit City Council for many years in the 1970's, I am well aware of the problems and constraints Federal mandates place on local officials. My first Senate campaign in 1978 was based on my desire to make the Federal bureaucrats more sensitive to local concerns. And I know these problems continue and that Congress simply hasn't paid enough attention to the costs we impose on State and local governments. Yet, I did not support S. 1 as it passed the Senate, and I cannot support the conference report. In some respects, S. 1 simply goes too far; in other respects, it promises more than it can deliver.”