Rob Portman: “Mr. Chairman, this is really legislation that builds on what we did 3 years ago, in 1995 in the public sector side. Let…”

“Mr. Chairman, this is really legislation that builds on what we did 3 years ago, in 1995 in the public sector side. Let me try to put it in some context. Three years ago we said we were going to stop public sector mandates. We passed legislation which required that three things be done: number one, there be a cost analysis done of every new public sector mandate; number two, there be a debate on the floor that any Member of Congress could insist on by a process called a point of order; and number three, there would be a vote, an actual vote by a majority of this House. By a simple majority we could decide to go ahead with the legislation, notwithstanding the mandate. But at least we would then have a clear understanding of what the costs were, all the information that we did not have previously. In the end we would come up with better legislation. It has actually worked to curtail these public sector mandates.”