Quote Our farmers deserve a government that serves their interest and empowers them to do the hard work that they love to do so much.

RURAL AMERICA HAS BEEN LEFT BEHIND: President Donald J. Trump has charged the Rural Prosperity Task Force with examining the challenges facing rural America.

Rural employment has grown slower than employment in urban areas, and was the slowest to recover from the recession.

Many Americans living in rural communities continue to face barriers that prevent them from attaining the quality of life they deserve. Poverty rates are disproportionately high in many rural communities. Access to adequate transportation is a hindrance to many rural Americans. Insufficient access to medical care means health problems can be exceptionally hard to overcome for Americans living in rural areas.

Too many rural Americans do not have necessary broadband access needed to engage in the modern economy. According to the Federal Communications Commission, 39 percent of rural Americans, or 23 million people, lack sufficient broadband access. Insufficient broadband networks in rural areas leave many Americans without access to services such as telemedicine and long distance learning. High costs of deployment have kept commercial internet providers from installing equipment in rural areas.



BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO RURAL PROSPERITY: President Trump’s Rural Prosperity Task Force has proposed recommendations to help rural America grow and thrive.

President Trump established the Rural Prosperity Task Force on April 25, 2017, to identify legislative, regulatory, and policy changes needed to help secure a prosperous future for rural America. The Task Force is chaired by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and includes local leaders and representatives from 22 Federal departments and agencies.

The Task Force identified more than 100 actions centering on five key areas that can help achieve a better future for rural America.

Connectivity for rural America: Electronic connectivity is essential for rural communities to succeed. To ensure rural American can compete, the report recommends: assessing the current state and effectiveness of rural connectivity and supporting programs; establishing a leadership team among the White House and various departments to ensure better access to electronic connectivity; and cutting red tape to encourage investment in high-speed internet.

Quality of Life Improvement: In order to achieve prosperity, rural Americans must have a high quality of life. To improve quality of life, the report recommends: targeting rural areas for transportation investment using current programs; establishing public-private partnerships to help rural Americans complete an education; and expediting infrastructure and technology investment in electric and water utilities for rural communities.

Support for a Rural Workforce: Every rural community needs job opportunities for its residents and rural businesses need qualified workers. To increase the availability of qualified workers, the report recommends: expanding apprenticeship programs, particularly in healthcare and trade industries; centralizing access to Federal job training programs and encouraging agencies to partner with the Department of Agriculture to host programs at local offices; and improving the H-2A program through new policies and regulatory changes.

Harnessing Technological Innovation: Continued American leadership in agricultural production and productivity will require leveraging emerging technologies across American farmlands. To promote innovation, the report recommends: developing best practices to better leverage big data collection and analysis for agricultural applications; expediting FAA regulatory waiver approvals for low-altitude unmanned aircraft system flights in rural environments; and modernizing and streamlining a science-based regulatory policy to expedite the commercialization of safe biotechnology products.

Rural Economic Development: By empowering rural economies, we empower America’s economy. To develop rural economies, the report recommends: creating an online Rural Prosperity Portal to help facilitate investment in rural communities; removing regulatory barriers to develop and access natural resources in rural areas; and increasing access to capital in rural communities by identifying projects for private investment.



REBUILDING RURAL AMERICA: President Trump’s Administration will build on existing projects and efforts to support rural America.