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Congressman Bishop urges greater state control over programs, praises Utah support for Hill Air Force Base
Summary
Rep. (Congressman) Bishop told the Utah House that many federal programs would be better handled at state and local levels, defended Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) as a short-term fix and praised state support for Hill Air Force Base during a long floor address and Q&A session.
Congressman Bishop addressed the Utah House on Feb. 21, urging lawmakers to shift responsibilities from Washington to state and local governments and arguing that federal programs are often too large, inflexible and distant to meet local needs. "Help me to quit giving you money and you guys quit taking it," he said, encapsulating his view that states should assume greater responsibility for many services now run by federal agencies.
Bishop cited examples where state or county control produced better outcomes, including local management of recreation areas that the federal government previously administered. He singled out Hill Air Force Base as a successful model of federal-state partnership: "Your commitment to a strong military and to helping out Hill Air Force Base is one of the things that's extremely important," he said, arguing the base is both strategically necessary and an economic driver for the region.
During a follow-up question-and-answer period, members pressed Bishop on executive orders, federal regulatory reach, PILT funding and immigration policy. Bishop acknowledged that presidents have always used executive orders but said the current administration used them more extensively than historical norms. He defended PILT as an imperfect but necessary mechanism, saying Utah receives about $35.4 million in PILT and that national PILT funding is roughly $400 million; he said long-term solutions should seek better revenue generation from federal lands.
On border and immigration policy, Bishop said border security must come first before comprehensive reform and he supported legislative steps that strengthen enforcement as a prerequisite to broader immigration measures.
The exchange included praise for local practices and repeated appeals to federalism: Bishop framed his position as neither liberal nor conservative but as a constitutional approach that assigns responsibilities closer to citizens when appropriate. The House thanked Bishop for his remarks and invited him to return.
