POSITION:
It is Federated Women in Timber’s (FWIT) position that at this time in
history our nation would be especially well served by citizens and elected
officials taking a fresh look at how and when legislation should be proposed
or passed at the national level; and doubling all of our efforts in making
certain that existing laws are optimized before adding new ones.
It is the position of
FWIT that the right and privilege to ‘lobby’ on The Hill is not only about
pushing, prodding and persuading proposed legislation into or out of
existence. Lobbying is also about fine-tuning the legislative process in
this country. This responsibility applies to those lobbying and to those
being lobbied!
It is FWIT’s position
that good intentions on the part of citizens and elected officials are
perhaps creating an inappropriate dependency on the passage of national
legislation to address problems; and this is adding to the burden of too
many laws.
Certainly there is a
place for national legislation. It should not, however, displace the more
fundamental role of state and local governance. More is not necessarily
better in this context.
FWIT holds the
position that significant opportunities exist to champion civic leadership
by encouraging citizens to try and address problems and issues at their
state and local government levels whenever possible.
Promoting the
idea that national legislation should be the legislation of last resort is
an old idea that needs to be revisited and encouraged by all affected
parties.
BACKGROUND:
A current example of proposed legislation that might be more appropriately
handled at state and local levels is that of Invasive Species legislation.
Weed and Pest Control
Districts and Councils already have the statutory authority at the local and
state level to deal with invasive species problems. Federal land
management agencies already have incorporated relevant guidelines into their
resource plans.
These state, local
and federal agencies are already dealing with invasive species problems.
What is really needed is implementation across the board rather than another
layer of national legislation.
FWIT thinks this
significant example is worth serious reconsideration.
RATIONALE:
The rationale is the most important part of this particular position paper.
Its purpose and intent is to raise everyone’s awareness on this topic and
formally suggest that all involved may too frequently be assuming that more
national legislation is better.
Congress (Senate and
House) bears the responsibility to pass or repeal laws, to fine tune and
improve existing laws and to not pass laws whenever possible. Congress can
demonstrate and foster civic leadership by championing local government
control whenever possible.
Congressional (Senate
and House) leadership and guidance can find expression in making certain
that agencies empowered to implement national legislation are doing so in
such a manner as to minimize the need for more piecemeal legislation to
address problems. More laws only make legal compliance more difficult and
add to the litigious logjam this nation already faces.
More legislation
frequently does not address what might be the fundamental source of
problems i.e., agency implementation and leadership, judicial stonewalling,
troublesome wording of an existing law, etc. etc..
CONCLUSION:
Federated Women in Timber has itself supported past legislative efforts.
Such efforts and involvement have taught us that a fresher, closer and more
careful look at our nation’s approach to problem solving is needed.
Where new laws are
concerned, less is more. Where old laws are concerned, more scrutiny and
fine-tuning is more. The nation would benefit from those two simple
guidelines.
While ‘getting
behind’ some version of proposed legislation is sometimes appropriate, FWIT
is suggesting that elected officials might first ‘get out in front’ and help
citizens determine if national legislation is really appropriate for what is
being advanced.
As our nation matures
in legislative respects, it should reflect passage of laws at the lowest
possible denominator, as few laws as necessary, improvement in laws already
passed by taking the time and effort to correct the flaws and not just learn
to live with them.
Congress can and
should be the working example of what it means to legislate the least, and
at the most appropriate level.
Wisdom dictates that
self-examination be an ongoing part of self-government.
How we go about
governing ourselves is as important as governing ourselves.
kpj/WY/04
