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Senators fight for SRS |
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September 22, 2016 |
Citing the drain on many rural county budgets,
Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, along
with Oregon Senator Ron Wyden (D) have sent a
bipartisan letter to Republican Leader Mitch
McConnell (R-Kentucky) and Democratic Leader
Harry Reid (D-Nevada) calling for the
reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and
Community Self Determination Act (SRS) in any
year-end legislation likely to be signed into
law.
The letter to McConnell and Reid was led by
Crapo and Senator Jon Tester (D-Montana).
SRS payments are vital to many rural budgets as
these payments often pay for school programs and
personnel like nurses, and for other education
services. The SRS program expired on September
30, 2015, and final payments were received by
schools in March of 2016.
As a result of these stopped payments, county
budgets being stretched thin among competing
priorities.
“The federal government has an obligation to pay
counties for tax-exempt, federally-managed lands
within their jurisdictions,” said Crapo.
“Without reauthorization of SRS, counties across
the nation will be without funding for local
schools, roads, bridges, forest management
projects and public safety priorities.”
“Until we see a significant increase in active
forest management on our national forests, the
federal government must uphold its commitment to
support our rural counties and schools who rely
on the SRS program,” said Senator Risch.
“SRS is a critical lifeline for our rural
places,” Wyden said. “It provides counties with
resources on the front lines for all kinds of
services communities just can’t do without -
from education to first responders to law
enforcement and libraries. I’m working with my
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to provide
these vital resources to our counties as soon as
possible.”
The letter is also signed by Senators Risch
(R-Idaho), Daines (R-Montana), Wyden (D-Oregon),
Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), Bennet (D-Colorado),
Warner (D-Virginia), Boxer (D-California),
Cantwell (D-Washington), Donnelly (D-Indiana),
Feinstein (D-California), Franken (D-Minnesota),
Gardner (R-Colorado), Udall (D-New Mexico),
Heinrich (D-New Mexico), Thune (R-South Dakota),
Sullivan (R-Alaska), Klobuchar (D-Minnesota),
McCain (R-Arizona), McCaskill (D-Missouri),
Merkley (D-Oregon), Stabenow (D-Michigan),
Murray (D-Washington), Nelson (D-Florida),
Peters (Michigan), Rounds (R-South Dakota),
Sanders (D-Vermont), and Boozman (R-Arkansas). |
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