(Maplewood, OH) – Today, Chris Gibbs, Ohio farmer and Board President of Rural Voices USA, the nationwide network of farmers and rural community leaders, released the following statement after the Build Back Better deal was announced. The Build Back Better bill includes historic investments in rural communities. For more detail on what is included in the bill visit HERE. “This bill is an investment in rural America the likes of which we’ve not seen in generations. It focuses on kitchen table issues that rural parents, workers, business owners and farmers worry about. By investing in childcare and universal pre-school it addresses rural parents’ worries that they can’t afford to give their kids the same early learning opportunities offered elsewhere. By supporting health care for older Americans and those with disabilities it shines a light on elderly populations in rural America that are struggling to afford medications. By investing in community college, workforce development and apprenticeships it recognizes that, especially in rural America, not everyone’s route to a successful, rewarding career runs through a four-year college. And by investing in climate-smart ag practices and disadvantaged farmers it recognizes that agriculture still forms the backbone of many rural communities. “This bill will also thankfully unlocks the bipartisan infrastructure bill that invests in rural roads, bridges, inland waterways and rural broadband. That bill will help farmers get product to market and improve the crumbling infrastructure that rural businesses and families rely on. Congress should pass both bills and Rural Voices USA will continue our work to ensure that the voices or rural Americans committed to rebuilding their communities are being heard in the debates ahead.”
Rural Voices USA is a 501 (c)4 non-profit bipartisan organization dedicated to ensuring the voices and views of rural Americans are heard in the policy debates impacting their lives. For more information visit https://www.ruralvoices.us/