David Dreier

Mr. DREIER

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Lewisville, TX [Mr. Armey].

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Springfield, OH [Mr. Hobson]. (Mr. HOBSON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 30 seconds to respond to my very good friend, the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Dingell], who did in fact include a statement that I made on May 24, in support of the Clean Air Act. Nothing in this legislation dealing with unfunded mandates would repeal any of those items to which the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Dingell] has referred. The fact of the matter is we are simply saying there should be accountability, and we should know what these things are going to cost. We do not have a goal of eliminating clean air standards. What we want to do is we want to be accountable for the cost of making sure that they happen. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to my very good friend, the gentleman from Peterborough, NH [Mr. Bass].

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to my friend, the gentleman from Frederick, MD [Mr. Bartlett]. (Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Chairman, I too am glad to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Jacobus, PA, chairman of the Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from El Cajon, CA [Mr. Hunter].

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon], chairman of the Committee on Rules. (Mr. SOLOMON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Monticello, IN [Mr. Buyer], a member of the Committee on Armed Services.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wilmington, DE [Mr. Castle], the former Governor of Delaware who understands full well the impact of unfunded mandates.

Mr. DREIER

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Bellvue, WA, a hard-working new member of the Committee on Ways and Means, Ms. Dunn.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 1 minute to a hard working Member, the gentlewoman from Bethesda, MD [Mrs. Morella]. (Mrs. MORELLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities, the gentleman from Jacobus, PA, [Mr. Goodling].

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado Springs, CO [Mr. Hefley].

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Miami, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Diaz-Balart], another new member of the committee.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Mariposa, CA [Mr. Radanovich], another of our new Members.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pasco, WA [Mr. Hastings], another thoughtful new Member of the Congress. (Mr. HASTINGS of Washington asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to another hard-working member of the Committee on Rules, the gentlewoman from Salt Lake City, UT [Mrs. Waldholtz].

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, since the early 1980's the American people have been crying out for some sort of relief. Washington has been imposing on State and local governments and the private sector requirements that they comply with all kinds of constraints and requirements, and yet we do not provide the wherewithal for them to meet those requirements. It is absolutely ridiculous for us to continue passing those on. This legislation has been studied for years and years and years. We have been trying to bring it up. It has been done under an open process in the committee, an open amendment process in the Rules Committee, and here on the House floor. We planned, when we reported this rule, to have the first measure, the Contract With America, be on the opening day considered under a wide-open rule. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of openness and in support of accountability. I ask my colleagues to vote for this rule. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Glenwood Springs, CO [Mr. McInnis], another hard-working new member of the Committee on Rules.

Mr. DREIER. If the gentleman would yield, I would say, based on my very detailed analysis of the Contract With America, I concluded that I do not think there are any unfunded mandates in there.

Mr. DREIER. Well, we probably will not have any motion like that that would cut off debate.

Mr. DREIER. If the gentleman would yield further, I have no plan whatsoever to cut off debate. I plan to follow the debate; if there are attempts made by Members on either side to simply be dilatory, to prevent the American people to be able to see their Representatives move through legislation which will address the issue of unfunded mandates, I would not be surprised if a motion like that would be offered.

Mr. DREIER

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my very good [[Page H335]] friend, the gentleman from South Boston [Mr. Moakley], the distinguished ranking minority member of the committee, pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, it is with great pleasure that for the first time I call up House Resolution 38 and ask for its immediate consideration. The clerk read the resolution, as follows: H. Res. 38 Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 1(b) of rule XXIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5) to curb the practice of imposing unfunded Federal mandates on States and local governments, to ensure that the Federal Government pays the costs incurred by those governments in complying with certain requirements under Federal statutes and regulations, and to provide information on the cost of Federal mandates on the private sector, and for other purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed two hours, with one hour equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight and one hour equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Rules. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. In lieu of the amendments recommended by the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight and the Committee on Rules, it shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five- minute rule the amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution. That amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered by title rather than by section. Each of the first four sections and each title shall be considered as read. During consideration of the bill for amendment, the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may accord priority in recognition on the basis of whether the Member offering an amendment has caused it to be printed in the portion of the Congressional Record designated for that purpose in clause 6 of rule XXIII. Amendments so printed shall be considered as read. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as may have been adopted. Any Member may demand a separate vote in the House on any amendment adopted in the Committee of the Whole to the bill or to the amendment in the nature of a substitute made in order as original text. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions.

Mr. DREIER

Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, a parliamentary inquiry.