Washington, D.C. – Today, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) made the following statement on Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke’s announcement that 37 local governments in Washington will receive $21.3 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2017:

“This is an encouraging step forward for Washington families,” Cantwell said. “We cannot let this lifeline to rural counties disappear. I was shocked to see in President Trump’s budget, a proposal to cut PILT payments.  Many counties in Washington rely on this federal support. I will continue to fight for funding for this program because it is so vital to our communities.”

Secretary Zinke and the Trump administration budget for next year cuts PILT funding by $68 million (15%). Sen. Cantwell, in her role as Ranking Member on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, in a hearing on PILT on May 2, 2017 voiced her support of PILT and disapproval of the proposed cuts to this program.