María Elvira Salazar: “this amendment aims to fully fund the Payment in Lieu of Taxes Program for our country. It is an issue of vital…”

“this amendment aims to fully fund the Payment in Lieu of Taxes Program for our country. It is an issue of vital importance to rural America. I am pleased to be joined in this effort today by Senator Bingaman and Senator Leahy who are cosponsors of this amendment. As I have said often on this floor before, rural America continues to wither on the vine. I will continue to come to this floor and sound the alarm of the plight of rural America because I am absolutely certain it doesn't have to be this way. The heartland of this country is a vast reservoir of American potential and strength, and the values, common sense, perseverance, and work ethic embodied in the 50 million people who live in rural America are national treasures in and of themselves. These people are also the stewards of our many public lands, and they deserve support in that effort. That is where PILT comes in. Created in 1976, PILT compensates local government for the presence of nontaxable Federal lands within their boundaries, as well as the associated costs of providing work, such as road work and law enforcement, to visitors on those lands. Over the years, inflation has taken its toll. Repeatedly underfunding the PILT Program has also sent precisely the wrong message to rural America. Full PILT funding for fiscal year 2007 will likely be close to $350 million, but the President's budget for PILT was reduced by $38 million, or 16 percent, from where it was last year.…”