On the recordMarch 14, 2012
I rise today to support our contract with rural America for decent roads and explain an amendment the Senate adopted last Thursday. Counties lose local tax revenue due to large Federal landholding. So, for over a century, Congress has supported payments to counties to make up the difference. Secure Rural Schools and Payments in Lieu of Taxes-- known as PILT--continue that important commitment to these communities. Rural counties that are home to large swaths of Federal lands rely on these funds to keep schools warm and keep the lights on at the county road department. These investments are rightfully due to rural counties as part of their compact with the Federal Government. These funds support jobs in Montana, education, and important county road projects. For counties such as Lincoln, Beaverhead, and Ravalli in Montana, these payments are a lifeline. My amendment keeps that lifeline intact, and it does so without adding a dime to the debt. We are considering a 2-year surface transportation bill in the Senate. And let me make clear: county payments are about roads. Secure Rural Schools requires payments to be spent either on roads or on schools. Over the last decade, over 50 percent of payments went to roads. In States like Idaho and Oregon, this makes up 20 percent of all highway spending in those States. U.S. Census survey data suggests that much of PILT is spent on highways too.…
