Rod Grams: “for 2 long weeks, the Senate has been debating legislation to correct the problem of unfunded mandates--those costly…”

“for 2 long weeks, the Senate has been debating legislation to correct the problem of unfunded mandates--those costly Federal regulations handed down to the State and local levels, without the necessary dollars to carry them out. Because of these unfunded mandates, State and local governments are often forced to raise taxes, change their priorities, or even reduce services to comply with regulations that may or may not benefit their constituents. Taxpayers, as usual get stuck with the bill. And mayors and State officials who don't obey risk being sued by the Federal Government. In his State of the Union Address Tuesday night, President Clinton acknowledged this serious problem and called on Congress to legislate some relief. ``It's time for Congress to stop passing on to the States the cost of decisions we make here in Washington,'' he insisted. Under the legislation we're considering, Senators will be more informed as to the cost of these mandates. Under this legislation, we won't be so quick to pass one-size-fits-all mandates. We'll know the financial burden we're placing on the country, and our State, local, and tribal officials. This is a great start, and I applaud Mr. Kempthorne and Mr. Glenn for their leadership on this issue. But as of this morning, the debate over the Unfunded Mandates Relief Act of 1995 has droned on for weeks. Mr. President, what is the delay? President Clinton supports this bill.”