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Rural schools get one-year reprieve in supplemental deal |
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The White House and congressional Democrats yesterday reached a deal on
the Iraq supplemental spending bill that includes $425 million for
payments to Western timber communities but leaves lawmakers still
looking for a long-term fix.
The House is scheduled to vote on the fiscal 2007 supplemental package
today, with the Senate expected to send it to the White House tomorrow.
This means Congress will likely begin the Memorial Day recess on time.
Full details of the agreements were not available as of press time.
Because the Secure Rural Schools and Community
Self-Determination Act expired last September, the one-year, $425
million extension buys West Coast lawmakers only a few months to move a
long-term deal.
Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) said he was disappointed Congress
needed to use the Iraq bill to move the one-year payments but pledged
to move forward. "I don't think it does any good for me or others to
throw political rocks at the Democratic leadership when literally
tomorrow we have to turn around and start working with them again on a
long-term solution," Walden said in a statement last night.
Oregon, Washington and California get the majority of
payments, designed to help county governments suffering from declining
revenue due to diminished timber harvests on federal land. The Bush
administration had opposed the provision, saying the funding was not
offset.
Not included is a $5 billion Senate plan that would have
provided long-term payments to timber counties and full funding for the
Payment in Lieu of Taxes program. Under the plan, $2.8 billion over
five years would go to counties and states affected by the loss of
timber revenue from federal land and $1.9 billion would fully fund PILT
from fiscal 2008 through 2011. Various "tax loopholes" would be used to
offset the cost of the amendment.
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