Sali: House Democrats continue to block county payments program

Sali: House Democrats continue to block county payments program

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- House Democrats tonight used a procedural tactic to make it look like they were willing to support payments to rural counties hurt by decreased timber harvests, when in fact, they’ve demonstrated they’re not interested in continuing the program, Congressman Bill Sali said Friday night.

Sali released the following statement after a series of votes, including one that required the support of the entire 435-member House of Representatives, failed to restore funding for the program:

“Efforts over the last two days to ensure that county payments reach rural counties have been thwarted at every turn. Tonight, opponents of this program went so far as make a motion that required all 435 members of the House of Representatives to agree to this program in order for the funding to continue. This was nothing more than a hollow gesture smacking of raw political posturing. They knew full well that the motion would not pass. We had opportunity after opportunity to address this in a real way today, and we were repeatedly denied that opportunity. They’re the ones who need to explain this failure to the residents of rural Idaho.

“These are real life people we're talking about. These are school kids whose teachers get laid off because the local school district can't afford to pay them. These are local road districts who are trying to figure out how to make roads so that when you come to Idaho to enjoy those public lands we can actually get to them. These are real people trying to deal with real problems and deserve much better than this.”

Sali, long a champion of full-funding for the Secure Rural Schools program and Payments-in-Lieu of Taxes (PILT) for rural counties whose income from federal timber sales has shrunk in recent years, has argued for funding that will actually get to those to whom it is owed and who need it most – the road departments, schools and county governments in rural areas.

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