William R. Richardson: “H.R. 925 would allow any landowner claiming as little as 10 percent diminishment in their property value as a result of…”

“H.R. 925 would allow any landowner claiming as little as 10 percent diminishment in their property value as a result of a Federal Government regulation to sue the Government for damages. The Tauzin amendment is even worse. It maintains the 10 percent level and adds a new provision that would force the Federal Government to buy property from landowners if a regulation diminishes the value of the property by more than 50 percent. This blanket coverage in H.R. 925 will cost Federal, State and local governments billions of dollars in new taxes. American taxpayers just cannot afford this price tag. H.R. 925 is a prime example of government bloat--it is a bureaucrats' job employment bill that jacks up costs, creates an even bigger government and increases red tape. In short, Mr. Chairman, it wields a meat cleaver when a scalpel would be more appropriate. This broad application of authority for landowners suits means that the Federal Government will be on the hook for billions of dollars in court fines from individuals who claim that any Federal regulation-- even reasonable ones such as those that protect drinking water and clean air--has diminished the value of their property. And of course, the people who would bear the brunt of this financial foolishness are the same people who elected us: the American taxpayers. But passage of H.R. 925 will be a costly mistake for America for more than just budgetary reasons.”