Republican Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said Tuesday there should be a mandate compelling the federal government to listen and respect state sovereignty in policymaking and implementation.
“There ought to be a mandate to listen and respect the role of the states,” Herbert told the House Oversight Committee.
“The more you devolve to the states the better it’s going to be,” Herbert continued, referring to policy outcomes, as well as costs for taxpayers and bureaucratic efficiency.
Herbert made the comments as part of the panel’s hearing held Tuesday to better understand the impact of former President Bill Clinton’s Executive Order 13132, signed in 1999, and the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act, which require federal agencies to consult with state and local officials if policies effect the federal-state relationship.
Earlier, during his opening statement, Herbert said there needed to be “a cultural change” within the federal government.
“Good cooperation should not depend on a particular official or administration,” he said.
Republican Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter added relations between federal and state governments began to shift “and not for the better” since the George W. Bush administration, but they were starting to improve under President Trump.
“I can think of several times when we have been consulted many times and never listened to,” Otter said. “Simply requiring consultation doesn’t always work.”
Republican New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez joined Herbert and Otter in arguing states should have the final say on issues like the decriminalization of marijuana, medical liability and malpractice legal frameworks, and whether to consent to concealed carry permit reciprocity.
“I have a concealed carry license and at first I was very leery, but I certainly appreciate the fact that it is something that can be decided within the state,” Martinez told Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., contradicting a push for uniform laws by her federal GOP colleagues.
The trio of witnesses also implored House investigators to streamline National Environmental Policy Act processes.
But there was disagreement among the group about how to recoup possible cuts to infrastructure projects proposed under the White House’s 2019 fiscal year budget request, from raising interstate highway tolls to increasing gasoline taxes.
The House Oversight Committee is probing federalism in conjunction with House Speaker Paul Ryan’s Task Force on Intergovernmental Affairs.
