On the recordJuly 13, 2016
I proudly come from a rural district in the State of Illinois. We have some of the best farmland anywhere in the world and what I would consider to be some of the hardest workers in America. But too often, communities like ours have been left behind or left out. We have had manufacturing jobs that have been sent overseas. We have had access to health care that has been very challenging. Net farm income has dropped. Many of our rural communities are without high- speed Internet. That hurts our businesses and even affects our children doing their homework. But even with these challenges, rural America holds tremendous potential. That is why I am kicking off what I am calling the 21st Century Heartland Tour. I am doing this to put Illinoisans in rural communities back to work, position ourselves to lead the Nation in clean energy, and to support our growers and producers who put food on the table of millions of Americans every single day. Madam Speaker, let's work together to ensure a strong and thriving 21st century heartland. ____________________
