Sam Farr: “I rise this morning with concern on the much-needed debate on unfunded mandates that is being conducted by the…”

“I rise this morning with concern on the much-needed debate on unfunded mandates that is being conducted by the Republican leadership. Everyone agrees in principle that mandates should be paid for. But before we leap, let us look. I just returned from the California floods. All the talk was about help to bail out the families affected by those floods. When the water recedes, that talk will shift to responsibility. Flood prevention is dependent upon mandates. Think about it, flood plain zoning, flood plain mapping, flood plain building standards. The Republicans are more interested in having a political victory in the shortest time possible than in good law. We should take time in this session, not the first 8 days, to talk about how the unfunded mandates are going to be carried out. Let us not go too fast, too far, too soon. Allow the public, not just the politicians, to be involved in the debate.”