Political Quotes

“the statement has been made that this is not a germane amendment. I suggest to the contrary, this goes to the very essence of why we are concerned about unfunded mandates. The basic concern is that the Federal Government has been imposing financial responsibilities on State and local governments without providing the means by which those responsibilities be discharged. What this amendment speaks to is enhancing the capacity of State and local governments to deal with those very responsibilities. It is particularly germane in the context of what I think is going to be a surprise and disappointment to many of the supporters of this bill, of which I am one. That is that the legislation before us only deals with actions which will occur in the future. Those Governors and mayors and commissioners who have calculated the current cost of unfunded mandates to their States, to their communities, run the potential of having unrealized expectations if they think we are about to do something in this bill that is going to lower that current cost of current mandates. What we are doing with this amendment is providing some revenue to State and local communities so they can discharge their responsibilities, including those responsibilities which we have in the past imposed upon them without funding and for which we do not have any intention to provide funding under this legislation. This goes beyond, however, an issue of appropriateness to some issues of basic fairness.”