FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 1, 2023
CONTACT: [email protected]
One Country Applauds $5 Billion Federal Investment in Rural America
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the board members of One Country Project (OCP) – an organization dedicated to uplifting rural Americans’ voices and policy priorities – celebrated President Biden’s ongoing Investing in Rural America event series that builds on efforts over the past few years to enact legislation prioritizing outreach to rural Americans.
“Big promises come with high expectations, and we are thrilled to see President Biden and his administration living up to their word on advancing rural prosperity and economic development in communities that have long been deprioritized by federal investment. Congress must now follow the administration’s lead and turn its attention to the needs of rural America by ensuring the government continues to be funded and passing a new Farm Bill that will set an agenda enabling rural America to prosper and thrive.
“While Congress managed to avert a shutdown on September 30, the Farm Bill lapsed, and key funding programs were placed in jeopardy. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law alone funded over 37,000 projects, which would be disrupted by a shutdown, delaying growth in America’s heartland.
“The Farm Bill, a piece of legislation dedicated not just to bolstering American agriculture, but also to myriad rural development programs, is crucial for rural Americans’ success and well-being. OCP wrote to members of Congress earlier this year urging them to make rural needs their priority, and continues to advocate for a Farm Bill that can secure a strong farming foundation, preserve the rural way of life, and reinvigorate the rural economy to improve opportunities for rural Americans now and for years to come.”
The administration’s Investing in America agenda includes a $260 million investment in the ReConnect Program through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will further expand rural Americans’ access to affordable and reliable high-speed internet, and $1.7 billion in conservation and climate-smart agriculture, with $250 million from the Inflation Reduction Act dedicated to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).