Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) issued the following statement after introduction of the Shutdown Windfall Reimbursement Act, which would require the National Park Service to refund all state money used to reopen and operate National Parks during the October 2013 shutdown:
Gosar Co-Sponsors Bill to Reimburse States From Obama Shutdown
Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) issued the following statement after introduction of the Shutdown Windfall Reimbursement Act, which would require the National Park Service to refund all state money used to reopen and operate National Parks during the October 2013 shutdown:
"This legislation is a no-brainer and I’m proud to be an original cosponsor. It simply reimburses states for the expenses they incurred during President Obama's government shutdown last October. After the Administration, in an attempt to score cheap political points, closed National Parks across the country, I worked with Mayor Bryan of Tusayan and Governor Brewer to get the Park Service out of the way and let the state step in to open and operate Grand Canyon National Park and others across Arizona. States like Arizona that had to reopen the parks on their own accord should absolutely be reimbursed for doing the federal government's job.
"Although Congress has provided the funds to reimburse the states, the Park Service has failed to do so and is holding on to roughly $2 million that belongs to the states. I urge my colleagues to swiftly pass this legislation, so that states can finally be reimbursed for doing the job the federal government should have done in the first place."
BACKGROUND
On October 2, 2013, during the government shutdown, Rep. Gosar voted to fully fund National Parks. The bill passed the House but the Senate refused to consider it. As a result, the shutdown cost Arizona's economy $27 million - more than every other state but one.
To ensure state economies are not subjected to such tactics again, Rep. Gosar introduced the Public Access to Public Land Guarantee Act (H.R.3661), bipartisan legislation that would require the federal government to work with willing state and municipal governments to keep national parks open during any future shutdowns and to repay state and local governments if Congress retroactively allocates the funds.
The Shutdown Windfall Reimbursement Act is the House Companion Version to S. 2104, the National Park Access Act introduced by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ).
