[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2769]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      REAUTHORIZE THE SAFE AND SECURE COUNTY AND RURAL SCHOOLS ACT

  (Mr. DeFAZIO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, well, today Congress passed a continuing 
resolution making up for some of the problems created by the Republican 
majority not getting their work done, but they did not got another 
crucial piece of work done, the reauthorization of the Safe and Secure 
County and Rural Schools Act. If that is not reauthorized, if that is 
not funded in short order, over 4,400 rural schools in 40 States will 
lose funding, 780 rural counties will lose funding for roads, county 
officials will be forced to lay off critical public safety, rescue, law 
enforcement and other employees. In my State alone, there will be up to 
1,000 people losing their jobs beginning quite soon.
  Congress must act and soon. We will soon request that the leadership 
put in the emergency supplemental, money to fund for 1 year the Safe 
and Secure County Rural Schools Act to give the authorizing committees 
time to put in place a full 7-year reauthorization suitably offset with 
other funds.

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