[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1937]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRESS NEEDS TO PASS THE SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY SELF-
                           DETERMINATION ACT

  (Mr. WALDEN of Oregon asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, the failure of Congress to 
reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 
Act amounts to breach of faith to the more than 600 forested counties 
across America.
  For Grant County, Oregon, where 61 percent of the land in the county 
is Federal, this means the school district will now be forced to 
eliminate essential school programs and nearly double class sizes, 
delay school repairs and begin telling teachers, administrators and 
staff who gets to stay and who has to go.
  School Superintendent Newell Cleaver puts it this way: ``We are 
watching our infrastructure being destroyed as this issue is debated in 
Congress. This program is the difference between rural schools 
remaining competitive with urban schools or not.''
  Grant County Commissioner Boyd Britton says, ``If the Federal 
Government would simply allow us to manage these natural resources, we 
would not need these funds. However, losing these funds will be felt by 
every man, woman and child in the county, especially the school 
children.''
  My colleagues, Congress needs to pass H.R. 17 and keep the Federal 
Government's word to timbered communities and the citizens who live 
there. Time is running out for them.

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