Mark Hatfield: “I am speaking today as a supporter and original cosponsor of the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995. I feel very…”

“I am speaking today as a supporter and original cosponsor of the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995. I feel very strongly that this legislation before us strikes a balance between the Federal Government's responsibilities: First, to acknowledge the burden that unfunded mandates have on State and local governments, and, second, to ensure the rights of all persons contained in the U.S. Constitution are protected. The Federal Government has imposed over 170 unfunded laws on State and local governments which have resulted in thousands of unfunded Federal regulations. The Federal Government has not viewed itself as dependent on State and local governments in the past two decades. I want to underscore that point, Mr. President, because we have been talking about dollar obligations that are involved in these unfunded mandates. But much of that is because of the thousands of regulations that follow these mandates. In fact, it has been estimated that perhaps as much as $500 billion is expended each year to administer at the Federal, State, and local levels mandates initiated and adopted by the Federal Government. The major policies of the Federal Government have reflected a Washington D.C.-based arrogance; "we"--"we" the Federal legislators and "we" the bureaucrats--know best how to solve the problems of the country.”