July 11, 2006
Republicans Have Preempted States Dozens of Times With Federal Laws. Who Needs State Sovereignty When You Have Washington?
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT
Over the past five years, Congress has passed 39 provisions in 27 laws that preempt state laws and regulations, according to a report released last month by Democrats in the House Government Reform Committee. This demonstrates "a marked contrast between the Republicans' rhetoric of devolving power to the states and their legislative record," Ranking Member Henry Waxman (D-CA) told BuzzFlash.com.
Rather than setting basic standards, Waxman said "the report finds an alarming trend of setting federal 'ceilings' for regulation, barring states from adopting more stringent requirements. This has been especially disturbing for states like California, whose landmark environmental and health protection regulations are being stripped by the federal government in favor of weaker, industry-friendly standards."
"Most of the preemptions have occurred in areas where the Republican leadership's policy preferences differ from state policies," Waxman continued. "This has occurred in the social policy arena, for example, when the federal government intruded into the end-of-life decisions of Terry Schiavo's family. It has also been evident in the areas of health, consumer, and environmental regulation."
As Waxman points out, this behavior is remarkably different from GOP rhetoric. Just days before becoming president, George W. Bush said, "while I believe there's a role for the federal government, it's not to impose its will on states and local communities."
Click here to read the report (PDF).
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT