[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 4395-4396]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          RURAL SCHOOL FUNDING

  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, let me speak to you briefly regarding 
another critical issue and that is the Secure Rural Schools and 
Communities Self-Determination Reauthorization Act.
  When we return after our Presidents Day recess, it is vital we re-
engage in a critical issue for timber dependent school districts in 
Idaho and across our country. This bill once referred to as Craig/
Wyden, helped many rural school districts move through a difficult time 
in their history and school children now find themselves in a very 
difficult situation. As you may know, many rural schools in this 
country have funding tied directly to timber harvest from our public 
lands. For several reasons, we haven't harvested timber at our 
historical rate and our rural schools in those particular counties have 
suffered.
  I am working in a bipartisan way with my colleagues from Montana, 
Oregon, Washington, California, New Mexico and of course Idaho. We all 
see the importance of continuing this funding to some extent. I am 
committed, as is Senator Wyden, to ensuring the success of the bill 
that bears our name.
  It is my intent, as well as others, to redefine the formula. Our key 
dates to shape this critical issue are the Energy

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and Natural Resources hearing scheduled for March 1; as well as the 
emergency appropriations supplemental debate tentatively scheduled for 
the middle of March.
  The timing is at a critical point. Our timber-dependent county 
officials and school districts are wrestling with budgets that are tied 
to this funding. I say today, clearly, failure is not an option.
  I yield the floor.

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