Fed dollars for JoCo aim of Walden
From our weekly issue dated May 7, 2008
An extension of county payments to cover the next four years is strongly pushed by Second District Congressman Greg Walden (R-Ore.)
At his request, U.S. House of Representatives Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) asked Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) directly on the House floor last week about the prospects for a vote on county payments in the House.
He also encouraged the Democratic leadership to schedule a vote. Hoyer is responsible for setting the agenda for voting on bills.
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During the past two weeks, Walden has been on the House floor delivering speeches to once again bring attention to the effect of the lapse of the program on counties in the Second District. He delivered a similar series of speeches during January and February 2007.
During the most recent speeches, the latest which was last week and focused on the effects to Josephine County, he has repeatedly called on the Democratic leadership to schedule a vote on H.R. 3058. It provides for a fully offset four-year extension of the program, or to include county payments in a vehicle already moving, such as the Farm Bill or the emergency supplemental. H.R. 3058, a bipartisan bill.
The latter is sponsored by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and co-sponsored by Walden, and has been eligible for a vote on the House floor since Jan. 15, 2008.
On Jan. 18, DeFazio and Walden wrote Hoyer urging a prompt vote on H.R. 3058. Yet no vote has been set.
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“It’s been 44 legislative days and over three months since a strongly bipartisan bill to extend county payments has been ready for a vote on the House floor,” said Walden. “With many vital public services already coming to a halt due to significant layoffs of county employees in our forested counties, and the siren call blaring for months, I simply do not understand why the Democratic leadership has not scheduled a vote.
“It’s terribly disappointing to see the Congress continue the broken pledge to our rural counties.
“But I will continue to do everything I can to draw the attention of the leadership to the struggles of Oregon’s counties due to congressional inaction,” Walden vowed.
