Mike Thompson: “today I rise to support the Mandates Information Act of 1999. I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of this…”

“today I rise to support the Mandates Information Act of 1999. I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of this legislation, which will make Congress more accountable for the laws it passes. I want to applaud my good friend from Michigan, Spence Abraham, for his hard work and leadership on this effort. He has always championed greater accountability and efficiency in our Government. This legislation is based on a simple premise--that Congress should think carefully and be accountable for passing mandates that impose significant costs on people and limit their freedom. In 1995, we passed the Unfunded Mandates Act to make Congress think twice before imposing new unfunded mandates on state and local government. But Congress also should be concerned about the private sector, especially consumers, workers and small businesses. This legislation builds on the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act in two ways. First, it will provide Congress with more complete information about the costs of proposed Congressional mandates on the private sector.”