New Dems Urge President to Support Rural Communities By Lowering Barriers to Federal Resources and Ensuring Equitable Implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Equitable Access to Resources will Empower Rural Communities and Create Lasting Economic Growth in Historically Underserved Communities Across the Nation
Today, the New Democrat Coalition (NDC), led by Rural Reinvestment Task Force Co-Chairs Cheri Bustos (IL-17) and Cindy Axne (IA-03) and NDC Chair Emeritus Derek Kilmer (WA-06) wrote to President Joe Biden with recommendations to ensure rural America can access the resources, opportunities, and economic benefits of federal investments, including through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. New Dems encouraged President Biden to designate a Rural Economic Revitalization Coordinator within the White House to lead the administration’s rural policy development, interagency coordination, and engagement with rural communities, and to support policies that will enable rural America to navigate and access federal programs.
New Dems voted unanimously to pass the transformational Bipartisan Infrastructure Law last year and formed the NDC Rural Reinvestment Task Force to ensure rural communities are empowered with resources for their communities.
“Last year, following decades of underinvestment in U.S. infrastructure, New Dems helped shape and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to modernize our nation’s ports, roads, and bridges, strengthen supply chains, ease long-term inflation and get everyday goods to market faster,” said NDC Chair Suzan DelBene (WA-01). “This legislation also makes critical investments to ensure our rural communities are better connected and can access essential 21st century tools, such as affordable broadband. Now, our NDC Rural Reinvestment Task Force is leading the effort to ensure rural Americans are top of mind when implementing this historic law and can access important federal resources.”
“I was proud to support the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is working to modernize our crumbling infrastructure and finally get every household access to affordable high-speed internet, but we must ensure that rural communities can access the critical resources provided by the law,” said Rural Reinvestment Task Force Co-Chair Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03). “Designating a Rural Economic Revitalization Coordinator in the White House will give rural Americans a seat at the table as these funds are being distributed so no community will be left behind.”
"From his recently released rural playbook to his visit to a farm in my home state this week, President Biden is putting rural Americans at the forefront and I'm proud that New Dems are helping lead the way,” said Rural Reinvestment Task Force Co-Chair Rep. Cheri Bustos (IL-17). Rural communities face unique infrastructure challenges and these recommendations would address these challenges at their core. Our working families deserve equal access to resources, economic benefits and federal investments and the innovative ideas put forth by the New Dems' Rural Reinvestment Task Force will ensure that rural communities are heard."
“Congress passed the bipartisan infrastructure law to create jobs and lay the foundation for long-term economic growth,” said Chair Emeritus Derek Kilmer (WA-06). Investments in roads, bridges, transit, water systems and broadband can help every community in the country – if we empower them to take advantage of these investments. We need to make sure that all communities, including rural communities, have access to these opportunities. That’s why the New Democrat Coalition is proposing recommendations to ensure rural America can access the resources, opportunities, and economic benefits of federal investments – including the infrastructure law. We’ll keep working to ensure people have economic opportunity, regardless of what zip code they live in.”
The letter reads in part,
“New Dems recognize the unique challenges and barriers to accessing federal resources faced by rural communities, which is why we established the Rural Reinvestment Task Force last year. We write not only to shed light on issues in our communities and in rural areas across the nation, but to offer solutions the administration can take to lower barriers to federal resources and better coordinate infrastructure implementation in the rural districts we represent.”
The NDC Rural Reinvestment Task Force was formed last year to address the unique challenges rural communities face, and the Task Force will continue working to solve these challenges, shed light on these issues, and uplift our rural communities. Read the full letter here and below:
Dear Mr. President,
As members of the New Democrat Coalition (NDC), we share the administration’s commitment to repair and modernize our nation’s infrastructure, grow the economy, create jobs, and combat climate change. You delivered on this promise with the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the implementation of this historic investment represents a once in a generation opportunity to improve the lives of Americans.
New Dems recognize the unique challenges and barriers to accessing federal resources faced by rural communities, which is why we established the Rural Reinvestment Task Force last year. We write not only to shed light on issues in our communities and in rural areas across the nation, but to offer solutions the administration can take to lower barriers to federal resources and better coordinate infrastructure implementation in the rural districts we represent.
Over the last few decades, the U.S. has significantly underinvested in infrastructure development and place-based economic development. Nowhere is this more pronounced than in rural America. Not only are rural communities ineligible for certain direct entitlement grants such as Community Development Block Grants, but they are less likely to have the capacity to navigate the maze of competitive federal grants and loan programs, given that they have comparably smaller staff sizes.
To ensure rural communities can access these resources, including the opportunities of the bipartisan infrastructure law, we propose that the administration designate a Rural Economic Revitalization Coordinator within the White House to lead the administration’s rural policy development, interagency coordination, and engagement with rural America. This role should be singularly focused on ensuring rural communities know what resources are available, assisting rural communities in accessing and successfully deploying federal resources, and working with all relevant federal agencies to address the unique challenges and needs these communities face. The Rural Coordinator should also serve on the Infrastructure Implementation Task Force to lead the rural implementation efforts under the bipartisan infrastructure law; doing so would further the goal of Executive Order 14052 by strengthening coordination with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. Enabling one person to be the point of contact for the administration will help cut across agency boundaries and missions to better align federal resources with community needs. This aligns with the clear vision you have had to establish similar roles for climate, infrastructure implementation, and more within the White House. Designation of a Rural Coordinator would elevate rural issues within the administration, show the administration’s determination to empower the communities that have been left behind to invest in their development and lasting economic growth, and ensure every American can access opportunity, no matter where they live.
To support equitable implementation and meet communities where they are, federal agencies should also develop a “common application” concept to lower barriers to accessing federal funds. Under a “common application” model, a community would be able to submit one application which would be considered for all applicable programs for which the entity is eligible, such as those made available at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. We are encouraged that this model is being discussed at DOT, and that a combined application was recently announced by DOT for three of its programs, including MEGA, INFRA, and RURAL grants. Moving forward we support DOT and other federal agencies in taking a similar approach to implementing programs and distributing funding, building upon this laudable progress.
The administration should also consider other policies that support rural access to federal programs. For example, the administration could consider making predevelopment funds available where possible to communities that otherwise would not have the resources or expertise to navigate the federal grant or loan systems. Such funds can be used for engineering studies, environmental reviews, site visits, hiring grant coordinators and economic development experts, and more to help them develop proposals, meet application requirements and apply for resources, and implement and oversee those programs to ensure success. As we begin discussion on the Fiscal Year 2023 budget, as well as the 2023 Farm Bill, the administration should also consider ways to partner with Congress to decrease regulatory burdens and enhance access to capital in rural areas, partner with local businesses and educational institutions to support workforce development, and further develop rural broadband as a critical driver for 21st century economic success.
We are grateful to you and the administration for being receptive to our ideas, joining our Coalition to discuss areas of collaboration, and working to build a better America. If there are additional funds from Congress needed to carry out implementation of these ideas, please know our Task Force stands ready to help. We look forward to continuing our partnership with you to ensure the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law fully benefits all parts of our country, including the rural Americans we represent.
Sincerely,
New Democrat Coalition Rural Reinvestment Task Force Co-Chairs Cheri Bustos (IL-17) and Cindy Axne (IA-03) and Reps. Jim Costa (CA-16), Angie Craig (MN-02), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Ron Kind (WI-03), and Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01).
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