William R. Richardson: “One out of five rural Americans live in poverty. Three-fourths of the cities in my district have a population under…”

“One out of five rural Americans live in poverty. Three-fourths of the cities in my district have a population under 10,000. They do not have the tax base of urban and suburban areas, yet they still have to provide clean water and adequate sewer systems. It is almost the 21st century and millions of Americans do not have clean drinking water. There is currently a backlog of 50,000 applicants for lower-income rural housing and a shortage of funding to provide them with safe, affordable housing. The needs of rural America are dire. This amendment gives those small towns in rural America the tools through research, conservation, education and extension activities to provide their citizens with safe water and sewer systems and the basic infrastructure to survive. When we talk about reforming agriculture policies we must also talk about the needs of rural communities whose economies rely heavily on agriculture production. Money for economic development can put these communities on sound financial footing and diversify their economies so they can have some stability and survive as the whole agriculture economy changes. This amendment empowers local communities and their leaders to diversify their economies. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is critical to bring economic prosperity to every part of the country.”