Political Quotes

“I rise to oppose this amendment, this attempt by the gentleman from Ohio to zero out the regional commissions' budgets. I want to focus particularly on the Appalachian Regional Commission, the ARC. The purpose of the ARC is to close the economic gap between Appalachia and the rest of the Nation to bring the region's 420 counties and 25 million people into the Nation's economic mainstream. ARC's goal is to help make this region and its people contributors to the national economy and to give them the opportunity to compete in today's international economy. As a region, Appalachia confronts a combination of challenges that few other parts of the country face--its mountainous terrain and isolation, a dispersed population, inadequate infrastructure, a lack of financial and human resources, and a weak track record in applying for and receiving assistance from other Federal programs. Even with ARC's funding, in fiscal year 2010, Appalachia received 31 percent less in Federal expenditures per capita than the rest of the Nation. That is $11,435 in Appalachia versus $16,569 for the Nation as a whole. ARC investments do not result in Appalachia's getting more than the rest of the country. In addition, as mentioned by the gentleman, ARC's programs do not duplicate other Federal programs.…”