John Joseph Moakley: “I recognize the Republicans are in a bit of a hurry, but my town people expect a little more consideration when it comes…”

“I recognize the Republicans are in a bit of a hurry, but my town people expect a little more consideration when it comes to passing laws that affect them, and I am sure it is the same for other parts of the country, too. The congressional committees have more institutional issue-based knowledge in their little fingers than we have here in the entire House. However, the people who know best have been shut out of the process. They have been told to wait until we get to the floor, and 'You can amend it in any section,' but I am afraid we are reverting back to the old days of Congress where a matter would come up on the floor, you would have to recess, go ad hoc, and try to determine what the answer is. Mr. Speaker, all I want to let the people know is that the unfunded mandates bill is no small potatoes. It will affect every single American man, woman, and child. It will affect the quality of drinking water and the air that we breathe. It will affect the way asbestos and lead paint are removed from our schools. It will also affect the food we eat and the conditions in which we work. I worry that overeager Republicans know not what they are passing. I think during the hearing it was brought out that there were questions that were still unanswered, but we will see how we can work it out. I just think this bill is much too important to put that type of criteria on it.”