Rural America deserves more Attention

Rural America has every right to participate in a stronger America, enjoy broader prosperity, have a brighter future, and gain the benefits of a smarter, effective government.

There is no reason why rural America should not enjoy all of these benefits. Rural electrification helped improve the standard of living in rural America. Water and wastewater projects, broadband infrastructure, affordable living, and business opportunities should be available to the people whose lives are committed to our national security by ensuring our food supply.

Agriculture
As one of my colleagues recently said, “If you eat food, you are [involved] in Agriculture.”The USDA and other administration programs support sliding scale programs for low income families, support for infrastructure projects like water and wastewater, biofuel and biomass alternative energy programs, and mandatory farm disaster assistance.  

The livelihood of family farmers will be enhanced with support for rural teachers and community colleges, continuing investment in renewable energy, continuing investment in broadband availability, cooperative research programs, and grants to support production.

Our national interest dictates that our food supply never be dependent on somebody else. At the end of the day, we have a vested interest in the success of rural America and the family farmers who feed us.