Gluesenkamp Perez Calls For SRS Extension

On Thursday, Southwest Washington’s Marie Gluesenkamp Perez sent a letter urging House Leadership to prioritize a three-year extension of the Secure Rural Schools program.  Gluesenkamp Perez said SRS will ensure rural communities can continue to access vital funds for infrastructure and schools.  In order for the program to stay on schedule, reauthorization needs to be completed by the end of the calendar year.

The SRS program is a historically bipartisan lifeline for rural communities that used to rely on timber revenue and are highly impacted by federal lands.  And Gluesenkamp Perez noted counties that used SRS funding for their county budgets would need to start their entire budgeting process over again if the three-year extension is not approved.

“Where your kids live shouldn’t determine the quality of education they receive – but in communities like mine, where funding for public services is tied to natural resources like timber, interminable litigation and critical wildlife conservation have jeopardized our ability to adequately fund basic services,” Gluesenkamp Perez said. “The Secure Rural Schools program is an investment in the equality of our children’s opportunities, and I refuse to allow federal inaction to undermine it. Rural schools are already enduring painful cuts – and schools in Southwest Washington have had to consider difficult choices in the face of the program expiring, including cutting down to a four-day school week.” 

Click Here for the full text of Representative Gluesenkamp Perez’s letter.

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