At the beginning of his Administration, President Trump made a commitment to promoting rural prosperity across the country.
In April 2017, the President signed Executive Order 13575 – Promoting Agriculture and Rural Prosperity in America – which established the Rural Prosperity Task Force chaired by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. The Task Force identified over 100 recommendations spanning legislative, regulatory, and policy changes needed to help improve life in rural America.
Building on the foundational work of the Task Force, on Wednesday, October 28, the White House released a rural prosperity resource guide for State and local officials and Tribal leaders. The resource guide – Promoting Rural Prosperity in America – demonstrates the Administration’s historic investment in and support for rural America and outlines key programs across the Federal government to support rural prosperity and resiliency.
The guide includes rural education resources available to K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions. You can also find a helpful guide on natural disaster recovery and resilience.
Recent Announcements on Promoting Prosperity in Rural America
• Trump Administration Invests $891 Million in Rural Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements in 43 States: Wednesday, October 27, the Trump Administration – through the U.S. Department of Agriculture – announced an investment of $891 million to modernize rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in communities across 43 states. These 220 projects will help improve rural water infrastructure for 787,000 residents.
• Trump Administration Invests $871 Million in Rural Community Facilities in 43 States and Guam: Wednesday, October 28, the Trump Administration – through the U.S. Department of Agriculture – announced of $871 million to improve critical community facilities in communities across 42 States and Guam. These investments will be for such purposes as to build or upgrade schools, libraries, clinics, and public safety facilities.
• FCC Announces Biggest and Boldest Step Yet to Expand Rural Broadband: Thursday, October 30, the Federal Communications Commission launched the first phase of its new Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction, which will provide internet companies with $20 billion in subsidies over the next 10 years to build out broadband networks in underserved parts of the country. The funding will connect roughly 10 million Americans who do not have any internet access or are on slow speeds.
• Trump Administration Continues Investing Unprecedented Resources into Rural Broadband: Through USDA’s ReConnect Program, the Trump Administration is investing unprecedented resources into rural communities across the country to expand access to high-speed broadband. Recent investments in Nebraska, North Dakota & Montana, Colorado, New York, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Iowa.
