Mike Michaud: “this week a tripartisan group of original cosponsors has joined together to reintroduce our bill to create a Northeast…”

“this week a tripartisan group of original cosponsors has joined together to reintroduce our bill to create a Northeast Regional Economic Development Commission to invest in the most distressed areas of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. Economic development commissions are now in existence in Alaska; Mississippi; the Midwest; and, of course, Appalachia; among other places. These bodies have a proven track record of success. For example, since its creation, the ARC has cut the number of distressed counties in their region in half. Today, when one looks at the statistics, the border region of the Northeast has just as strong a need as the other areas. We need direct Federal investments to turn our economies around. Our bill does that and ensures both local planning and the advancement of regional goals like sustainable land use. We are proud to have such a strong tripartisan group working together to promote economic development in the Northeast. We look forward to advancing our bill and working with other regions who want to grow their economies and bring prosperity back. ____________________”