On the recordJune 23, 2017
I support this amendment. The first hearing I held as chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources was on the geography of poverty. People often think of poverty only as they see it in cities, not realizing poverty today is more common than ever in suburban and even rural areas. People also underestimate poverty in rural and remote areas, not knowing the rates of poverty in these areas have, for decades, been higher than in urban areas. This amendment ensures the Secretary takes into account rural areas and Indian Tribes when making recommendations on how to address employment-related challenges. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment as well as support the underlying bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
