In advance of his first speech to a joint session of Congress, more than 200 organizations remind President Donald J. Trump that the need to #RebuildRural has never been more important. American agriculture creates millions of jobs for U.S. workers and remaining competitive will require reliable infrastructure linking rural communities to global markets.
Those infrastructure needs range from roads, bridges and dams to expanding broadband and ensuring a secure supply of clean water and reliable power.
In a letter sent to the White House last week, the coalition encouraged the Administration to think outside of the box: “The scope of the investment needed is staggering. Clearly the federal government must continue to play an important role in providing funding and those federal investments should increase. However, federal resources, likely cannot fill the need entirely. Creative solutions that pair federal investment with state/local government investment and private sources of capital hold promise for raising a portion of the funds necessary to do the job.”
The 200-plus organizations represent U.S. agricultural producers, rural businesses, rural communities and rural families.