[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9183]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 COUNTY PAYMENTS: CROOK COUNTY, OREGON

  (Mr. WALDEN of Oregon asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. WALDEN of Oregon. Madam Speaker, by refusing to renew the Federal 
county payments program, Congress has broken the bond with rural areas 
all across this country. Counties such as Crook County in Oregon have 
been affected.
  Congress' inaction means that county's road department's been 
whacked. It's half what it was 10 years ago. Road improvements needed 
for the future are being shelved. Maintenance projects are being put on 
hold.
  Crook County Judge Scott Cooper said: ``Congress just passed a new 
farm bill to help get products from farm to market, but without county 
payments, the products won't have roads or bridges to go over.''
  H.R. 3058 would help solve this. It's a bipartisan, 4-year 
authorization for county payments; yet the leadership of this House has 
held it hostage on the Union Calendar since January 15. That's 121 days 
that the Democratic leadership has prevented the House from voting to 
reauthorize the county payments program.
  It's time to restore the Federal Government's century-old commitment 
to rural timbered communities, where Federal lands make up the bulk of 
the area.
  I call on the Democratic leadership once again, free H.R. 3058 for a 
vote, and keep the roads and schools open in rural America.

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