The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“INTRODUCTION OF THE SOLID WASTE INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORTATION ACT OF 2003” mentioning the Federal Reserve System was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E69 on Jan. 27, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCTION OF THE SOLID WASTE INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORTATION ACT OF
2003
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HON. MIKE ROGERS
of michigan
in the house of representatives
Monday, January 27, 2003
Mr. MIKE ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, in 2001, more than 5.8 million cubic yards of foreign municipal waste was imported to the State of Michigan, with the citizens of the State having no say in the process. The citizens of Michigan have made it clear: they want the power to regulate incoming foreign waste. Through their elected officials, Michigan citizens have attempted to gain some control of the importation of municipal waste to Michigan. Each time though, these legislative actions have been deemed unconstitutional in court, as states have not been granted the necessary authority by Congress. The Solid Waste International Transportation Act of 2003 is designed to give every state the authority to prohibit or limit the influx of foreign municipal waste through state legislative action.
A Supreme Court decision in 1978, City of Philadelphia v. New Jersey, struck down a New Jersey statue which prohibited the importation of most out of state municipal waste, partially on the basis that the Federal Solid Waste Disposal Act, had no ``clear and manifest purpose of Congress to preempt the entire field of interstate waste, either by express statutory command, or by implicit legislative design.'' The Solid Waste International Transportation Act of 2003 would amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to provide that express statutory command.
Northeast Bancorp v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System 472 U.S. 159, 174 (1985) said ``When Congress so chooses, state actions which it plainly authorizes are invulnerable to constitutional attack under the Commerce Clause.'' The Solid Waste International Transportation Act of 2003 would be a plain authorization of the state's authority to prohibit or limit incoming foreign municipal waste.
Every State in this Nation should have the ability to regulate the influx of foreign municipal waste. If a State wants to prohibit the importation of foreign waste, they aught to have that power. If a State wants to import large amounts of foreign waste, they aught to have that power. Or if a State wants to restrict the importation of foreign municipal waste, they aught to have that power too. Through their elected representatives, let's give the citizens of their respective States a say in the importation of foreign municipal waste.
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