Tom Udall: “this amendment calls for legislation to fully and permanently fund the Payment in Lieu of Taxes Program. Senator…”

“this amendment calls for legislation to fully and permanently fund the Payment in Lieu of Taxes Program. Senator Heinrich and I have long called for this solution. Rural counties in New Mexico and other States across the West and across the country have large amounts of Federal lands within their boundaries. These counties rely on funding from the PILT Program to provide better schools, maintain roads and bridges, and support thousands of local jobs. We currently fund PILT year by year. I have fought for this funding as a member of the Appropriations Committee, but we need to do more. We need to pass permanent funding to ensure that local communities can count on our resources being there every year to provide basic services. I urge support for the Udall-Heinrich amendment and yield back. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate? The Senator from Wyoming.”