Jeff Flake: “Let me just read this statement. It seems the Washington Post has some sympathy for this: ``The Federal Government is…”

“Let me just read this statement. It seems the Washington Post has some sympathy for this: ``The Federal Government is the largest landowner in Washington. Since the land cannot be taxed, the Federal Government is the principal contributor to the district's chronic fiscal imbalance.'' Now, if the Federal Government owns a lot of land in the District of Columbia, believe me, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Colorado, we ought to really be hurting, because the incidence of Federal land is so much higher there. The President had initially more than $200 million for Federal land acquisition. It has been cut by the chairman down to $43 million. It is still too much, and particularly when PILT is underfunded.”