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- STATES URGED TO JOIN THE HOUSE IN PASSING UNFUNDED MANDATES LEGISLATION
-
- (Mr. EHLERS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
- minute, and to revise and extend his remarks.)
- Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, this morning we expect to pass a bill
- dealing with unfunded mandates, and I will be voting for that bill. I
- do want to make it clear that I do have some reservations in
- environmental areas, but those can be addressed as we go along.
- The main purpose of my comments today is to point out that we are
- only part of the problem, and I challenge the States of these great
- United States to follow our example and pass unfunded mandates bills
- within their own legislative bodies.
- In the State of Michigan we required a constitutional amendment
- initiated by the citizens of the State to address this problem. Since I
- have worked at the county commission level, the State legislative
- level, and the Federal level, I can assure the Members that everyone
- tries to pass mandates down to the body below them and require them to
- pay the costs.
- My challenge to the States is to follow Michigan's example--adopt a
- constitutional amendment as we did in Michigan and prohibit passing
- unfunded mandates down to cites, counties, townships, and other forms
- of government.
- Mr. Speaker, I urge all the States to join us in this effort as we
- pass our unfunded mandates bill today.
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