News and Press Releases
Sign Rural Development Letter to Senate Ag. Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Aug 10, 2007
Click Here to Add Your Support for Sen. Harkin's Proposal
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) is currently circulating a “discussion draft” of his comprehensive Rural Development and Investment Title for the 2007 Farm Bill. Chairman Harkin (D-IA) is working to secure his Senate colleagues' support to reserve at least $2 billion in new mandatory funding over the next five years, with additional authorizations for discretionary rural development programs, within the Rural Development Title of the Senate's Farm Bill package.
Specifically, Chairman Harkin's proposal includes:
-$500 million for a new Rural Collaborative Investment Program (RCIP), a program championed by NADO to support regional strategies, collaborations and project investments
-$375 million to support separate loan and loan guarantee programs for childcare center, hospital and assisted living facility upgrades and improvements in rural America
-$100 million for a new micro-enterprise and entrepreneurship lending and technical assistance program
-$125 million for enhanced rural broadband deployment and access
-More than $700 million to help address the backlog of pending applications for water and waste water, community facilities and other related projects within USDA Rural Development.
-With the tight budget constraints and the intense competition for fewer resources, it will be extremely difficult to secure the $2 billion in new mandatory funding for rural development without your active participation!