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Letters

Chairman Hastings Second Follow-up Letters to Director Mathews Burwell, Secretary Vilsack, and Chief Tidwell Regarding Decision Making on the Secure Rural Schools Program

Dear Director Matthews Burwell, Secretary Vilsack, and Chief Tidwell::

A letter was sent to the Office of Management and Budget ("OMB") on May 20, 2013 requesting information about the Forest Service's ("Service") decision demanding that states repay Secure Rural Schools Program ("SRS") funds. OMB missed the Committee's June 3, 2013 deadline for response.

The original letter sought responses to two questions seeking information, communications and documents pertaining to OMB's advice provided to the Service on the retroactive sequestering of the SRS funds. These responses should have been easy for OMB to provide without delay.

After no response was received, a follow up letter was sent July 18, 2013 stating that "OMB's lack of timely response is unacceptable" and that OMB's full and complete compliance to the Committee's information request was expected "without further delay." To date, OMB has not provided a single document in response to the Committee's oversight request or said when a response will be received.

Read the entire letter HERE.