Unfunded mandates have been part and parcel of the US government since Roosevelt at least.
Though the timing may be the result of partisan politics, I say hear-hear and what took ya so long. I would love to see this end in secession for Texas - that would do more to tame the ravenous US government beast than any other single thing I can think of.
or destroy the economy completely and start a war, but either way, we'd have plenty to do to keep ourselves occupied (no pun intended).