[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 66 (Thursday, April 24, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H2662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              COUNTY PAYMENTS FOR DESCHUTES COUNTY, OREGON

  (Mr. WALDEN of Oregon asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, in Deschutes County, Oregon, 78 
percent of the land is owned by the Federal Government. That's an area 
50 percent larger than the State of Rhode Island. Yet the Federal 
Government has pulled the plug on its commitment to this central Oregon 
county, by allowing the county timber payments program to expire.
  A full 10 percent of Deschutes County's annual budget is comprised of 
county payments. Faced with the possibility of losing those funds, the 
county last year laid off employees and cut services in its road 
department. This year the county's grappling with a similar choice, lay 
off more employees, cut vital services, or find a balance of the two.
  Deschutes County Commissioner Dennis Luke said, ``It's not only our 
roads that will take a hit. More importantly, it affects our ability to 
reduce the threat of wildfire, provide search and rescue services to 
folks who enjoy recreating on the vast stretches of federal lands.''
  All the while, the House has had a solution in waiting in H.R. 3058, 
a 4-year reauthorization, but its approval has been stymied by the 
Democratic leadership, which, for some reason refuses to allow it to 
come up for a vote.
  H.R. 3058 languishes while we name post offices, honor sports teams 
and rename roads. There's time for that, but not time to vote on H.R. 
3058.
  I hope the health of rural America can find a spot somewhere tucked 
in among those priorities, and that the leadership will allow the House 
to vote to reauthorize county timber payments.

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