Political Quotes

“I rise today to commend my colleagues on the Public Works and Banking Committees for their work on bringing this long awaited reauthorization legislation to the floor. The Economic Development Administration has played an important role in diversifying North Dakota's economy. The regional planning councils in my State, which received EDA planning grants, have been crucial in coordinating economic development efforts. Communities with a low population density and a small tax base rely on the regional councils for their planning and technical expertise. In addition, many successful projects have received EDA funding in North Dakota: The expansion of Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing, a small family-owned manufacturing business. This expansion created jobs for an area suffering from the downturn in the oil industry in the late 1980's. The construction of an industrial park offered the needed sewage and water services for a farmer-owned pasta company. EDA funding helped make an agriculture commodity into a processed product and further diversify my State's economy and created over 100 jobs. While I support authorizing EDA, I have some strong reservations regarding the grant eligibility requirements.”