Rep. DeFazio Applauds Senate Passage of Bill that Extends Secure Rural Schools Program in Oregon

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) released the following statement after the Senate approved H.R. 2, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015. The bill, also referred to as the “Doc Fix,” was passed by the House on March 26, and includes a provision authored by DeFazio and Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) that extends the Secure Rural Schools program and provides about $180 million to Oregon counties over two years to pay for vital services such as education, law enforcement and road maintenance. The bill now goes to the President who is expected to sign it into law.

“I’m pleased the Senate finally approved legislation to help Oregon’s struggling counties.  The two year extension of the Secure Rural Schools program will provide funding for schools, roads and local law enforcement at a critical time. The funding ensures Oregon’s rural services don’t collapse as we continue to work on a long-term forest management solution that puts Oregonians back to work in the woods, improves forest health and reduces the risk of catastrophic wildfires, and provides revenues to counties for essential services.

“I’m also pleased we are ensuring access to healthcare for all children by extending the CHIP program; investing in community health centers which provide a vital service in underserved areas; and guaranteeing continued access to Medicare for millions of America’s senior citizens by ending a decade-long cycle of annual “doc-fix” patches.”

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