Political Quotes

“this Congress continues to break the Federal Government's promise to America's timbered counties, including Klamath County in southern Oregon, by not reauthorizing the county payments program. Klamath County usually receives upwards of $19 million annually from county payments. The lapse of this program obviously has created a major budget shortfall for that rural county. It's been forced to deplete its operational reserves. It's cut over 10 jobs in areas like the sheriff's office, juvenile justice, administration, and planning. If revenues fail to meet projections and with the operational reserves depleted, the next rounds of cuts could easily result in more than 25 people in the sheriff's department alone losing their jobs. Klamath County is known for running a tight ship so each new cut carries serious consequences to public services. Since January of this year, the Democrat majority in this House has sat on H.R. 3058, a bipartisan 4-year reauthorization bill for county payments. Nothing's happened. No vote. I, again, call on the Democratic leadership: Do the right thing. Keep the commitment to the timbered communities of this country and pass the reauthorization or put it in the farm bill or put it in the supplemental. Don't strip it out. Restore faith with rural counties all across America. Keep the Federal commitment to these timbered counties.”