Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to amendment No. 26, which would slash funding for the Delta Regional Authority by $6.1 million. This Federal-State partnership is a critical lifeline to my district and State by providing dedicated funding to address vital infrastructure, workforce, and healthcare needs for rural towns. These towns have little to no tax base to be able to raise the funds themselves to replace expensive and aging infrastructure systems. Rural communities do not have the financial resources to hire grant writers to help them through a complex Federal grant process, and because of this, these towns miss out on national grant competitions. DRA's funding supports a pilot program that would help these communities identify opportunities, provide assistance to write the applications, and help with implementation. While cutting $6.1 million may not seem like a lot, I have seen firsthand what a simple $200,000 can do to help grow a rural town. Finally, the DRA has had minimal increases over the last 5 years. A cut in funding this deep would be a step in the wrong direction. On behalf of rural towns across the delta region, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.”