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July 2, 2018

JEC Democrats, under the leadership of Ranking Member Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), released a new report that takes an extensive look at "Investing in Rural America," and proposes new policies to revitalize these communities that have not yet recovered from the Great Recession. In this edition of our newsletter, we roundup the latest on our report

Video Message from Senator Heinrich

Ranking Member Heinrich released a video message ahead of the release of the rural economy report. In his message, Senator Heinrich highlighted the importance of investing in rural America. Senator Heinrich also emphasized the reasons for optimism in these communities, and the type of opportunities that lie ahead for innovation and growth.


Op-Ed: Our Growing Economy Should Not Leave Rural America Behind

Senator Heinrich published an op-ed in Roll Call to highlight the rural economy report. The op-ed underscored Senator Heinrich's personal connection to rural communities. It also outlined several key highlights from the report, as well as certain policy proposals to revitalize rural America. To read the op-ed, click here.


Fact Sheet: Republicans Fail Rural America

Over the last 18 months, the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans have turned their backs on rural Americans. While the poverty rate in rural areas is more than 3 percentage points higher than in metropolitan areas, Republicans have avoided addressing the economic challenges facing these communities. Rather than put forth real solutions, Republicans worked to strip health care coverage for rural families, endanger farm household incomes, and take away nutrition assistance for the neediest of families. Check out our fact sheet here.

Chart Book: Investing in Rural America

We also released a chart book that includes the detailed state-by-state analysis of data and topics found in the report. These graphics provide quick figures on urban, rural, and statewide numbers, highlighting the complexity of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.


Opportunity Agenda: Investing in the Rural Economy



The latest episode of our “Opportunity Agenda” podcast features Karla Thieman, former chief of staff for the United States Department of Agriculture and current member of the Russell Group, and Terry Brunner, former USDA Rural Development state director for New Mexico and current chief program officer and founder of Grow New Mexico. Listen to the podcast here.
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