Congress Must Act Now: Fund Secure Rural Schools Program!
Background: The Secure Rural Schools (SRS)
program was intended as a safety net for forest communities in 42 states. SRS payments are based on historic precedent
and agreements removing federal lands from local tax bases and from full local
community economic activity. The
expectation is that the federal government and Congress will develop a long-term
system based on sustainable active forest management. Congress needs to act on
active long term forest management programs generating local jobs and
revenues.
Relevance: As we begin the final weeks of
2016 and the 114th Congress, the Secure Rural Schools and
Communities Act (Forest Counties) remains zero-funded. While Congress funded
SRS for 2014 and 2015, they have not funded SRS for 2016, meaning that 775
rural counties and 4,400 schools in rural communities and school districts
served by the SRS program are currently receiving zero funding through this
program. With these cuts, forest counties and schools face the loss of
irreplaceable essential fire, police, road and bridge, community and
educational services. We, at a minimum,
need Congress to approve a one-year funding fix (including retro-active
funding) for the current school year. As it stands right now, there is zero
funding available for the current school year. If Congress is feeling
ambitious, a two- or three-year funding fix would be welcome, but the overall
goal is to secure a program extension/reauthorization. The broader bill that the
program falls under includes the politically divisive topic of forest
management, and the politics around whether to cut trees or not carries a
weight that has, to date, left the program unauthorized and now, unfunded.
Call to Action: Contact your members of Congress
(your Senators and your Representative) to discuss Secure Rural Schools (SRS,
or Forest Counties). Let them know what
your budget looks like without this funding and that they need to do something for
SRS funding. And, ask them to relay their concern and desire for action with
Congressional leadership. It is critical
that Leadership hears from Members that SRS and Forest Management are issues
that must be addressed as Congress comes back to work for the Lame Duck session. Create your own story about what happens if
we get nothing.
In
addition to your Senators and Representative, please contact any House/Senate
leadership from your state. A full list of House and Senate leadership is
below:
Please
contact the advocacy team if you need email addresses for the education
staffers in any of these offices.
House of Representatives:
Leadership
- Speaker:
Rep. Paul D. Ryan (R-WI)
- Majority
Leader: Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
- Majority
Whip: Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA)
- Republican
Conference Chairman: Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
- Republican
Policy Committee Chairman: Rep. Luke Messer (R-IN)
- Democratic
Leader: Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
- Democratic
Whip: Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
- Assistant
Democratic Leader: Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC)
- Democratic
Caucus Chairman: Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA)
US Senate Leadership
- Republican
Majority Leader: Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Majority
Whip: John Cornyn (R-TX)
- Republican
Conference Chair: John Thune (R-SD)
- Republican
Policy Committee Chair: John Barrasso (R-WY)
- Republican
Conference Vice Chair: Roy Blunt (R-MO)
- Democratic
Minority Leader: Harry Reid (D-NV)
- Democratic
Whip: Richard Durbin (D-IL)
- Democratic
Conference Committee Chair: Charles Schumer (D-NY)
- Democratic
Conference Committee Vice Chair & Policy Committee Chair: Patty Murray
(D-WA)