    [Senate Hearing 118-773]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                            S. Hrg. 118-773

                         HEARING ON AMERICA'S REGIONAL
                     COMMISSIONS: SHARING BEST PRACTICES IN
                       REGIONAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

    =======================================================================

                                    HEARING

                                   before the

                                  COMMITTEE ON
                          ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                              UNITED STATES SENATE

                        ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 SECOND SESSION

                                   __________

                               SEPTEMBER 18, 2024
                                   __________

      Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works

                    [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

            Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov

                                   ______

                     U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

    63-013                    WASHINGTON : 2026

                   COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                        ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
                                 SECOND SESSION

                      THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware, Chairman
              SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia, Ranking Member

    BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland         KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota
    BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont             CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming
    SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island     MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma
    JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon                 PETE RICKETTS, Nebraska
    EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts      JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
    DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan            ROGER WICKER, Mississippi
    MARK KELLY, Arizona                  DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
    ALEX PADILLA, California             LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina
    JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania

                   Courtney Taylor, Democratic Staff Director
                   Adam Tomlinson, Republican Staff Director

                                C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page

                               SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

                               OPENING STATEMENTS

    Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware..     1
    Capito, Hon. Shelly Moore, U.S. Senator from the State of West
      Virginia.......................................................     3

                                   WITNESSES

    Wiggins, Corey, Ph.D., Federal Co-Chair, Delta Regional Authority     6
        Prepared statement...........................................     9
        Responses to additional questions from Senator Carper........    16
    Clyburn Reed, Jennifer, Ed.D., Federal Co-Chair, Southeast
      Crescent Regional Commission...................................    18
        Prepared statement...........................................    20
    Saunders, Chris, Federal Co-Chair, Northern Border Regional
      Commission.....................................................    23
        Prepared statement...........................................    25
    Sanchez, Juan, Federal Co-Chair, Southwest Border Commission.....    28
        Prepared statement...........................................    31
    Fenton, Jocelyn, Interim Co-Chair, Denali Commission.............    37
        Prepared statement...........................................    41

                         HEARING ON AMERICA'S REGIONAL
                     COMMISSIONS: SHARING BEST PRACTICES IN
                       REGIONAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

                                  ----------

                         WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

                                           U.S. Senate,
                     Committee on Environment and Public Works,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m. in room
    406, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Thomas R. Carper
    (chairman of the committee) presiding.
        Present: Senators Carper, Capito, Cardin, Whitehouse,
    Stabenow, Kelly, Boozman, Sullivan.

              OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS R. CARPER,
                U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF DELAWARE

        Senator Carper. I would like to call today's hearing to
    order. Welcome, one and all.
        Today, we have gathered, as you know, to discuss our
    Nation's regional commissions and the integral role that they
    play in strengthening our communities, our work force, and our
    infrastructure. We are going to hear testimony from our
    bipartisan panel of witnesses representing five different
    regional commissions: the Delta Regional Authority, the Denali
    Commission, the Northern Border Regional Commission, the
    Southeast Crescent Regional Commission, and the Southwest
    Border Regional Commission.
        To our witnesses, Dr. Wiggins, Dr. Clyburn Reed, Mr.
    Saunders, you pronounce your name Saunders, don't you? We have
    a fellow on our team here who pronounces his name Sanders, and
    so we will try not to confuse them. Mr. Sanchez, Juan Sanchez,
    and Ms. Fenton, right, thank you all for joining us today. Good
    to see you.
        For those who may not be familiar with our regional
    commissions, let me start by discussing what our regional
    commissions do and why their work, your work, is important.
        Our Nation's Federal regional commissions are Federal-State
    partnerships that Congress has created over a period of time,
    starting in the 1960's to implement community and economic
    development strategies in some of our most disadvantaged
    communities. Our regional commissions work closely with the
    Economic Development Administration, at the Federal Government
    level, in order to build durable regional economies throughout
    the United States of America.
        One might ask, why is this mission important? To answer
    that question, let's paraphrase President Abraham Lincoln, who
    once said that the role of the Federal Government is to do for
    the people what they cannot do for themselves. This is what the
    regional commissions attempt to do every day when they provide
    financial resources and partner with State governments to help
    communities prosper. Working hand-in-glove with the Economic
    Development Administration, our regional commissions are
    reinvigorating some of America's most distressed regional
    economies.
        I know just how important this kind of work is for our
    communities. Right after I came home from my third and final
    tour in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War as a Naval flight
    officer, I moved to Delaware, where I earned my MBA, and I went
    to work, coming out of graduate school, for the Delaware
    Economic Development Authority. Although I worked there for
    less than a year, this experience has helped influence almost
    every part of my career since then, including my time as
    Governor of the State of Delaware.
        When I was privileged to serve as Governor of Delaware, a
    job that Senator Capito's father once held, not in Delaware but
    in West Virginia, more jobs were created in Delaware than any
    other year, period, in the history of our State. In truth
    through, I did not create a single one of those jobs as
    Governor. Governors do not create jobs; Senators do not create
    jobs. Regional commissions, if we are going to be honest, do
    not create them, either. What we do together and what we need
    to do is to create a nurturing environment for job creation and
    job preservation throughout America.
        The work of our regional commissions, from work force
    development and infrastructure improvements to promoting access
    to capital and broadband deployment, is necessary in order to
    create that nurturing environment.
        Today, we look forward to hearing what regional commissions
    are doing well and what improvements might help these agencies
    work even more effectively in order to enable disadvantaged
    communities to recover and to thrive.
        As members of this committee have oftentimes heard me say,
    we need to find out what works and do more of that. Regional
    commissions have used Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to
    support more than 300 projects in 19 States. The commissions
    have used their funding in diverse and innovative ways. For
    example, last year, the Delta Regional Authority funded
    infrastructure projects to support a $5.6 billion investment by
    Ford in a new electric truck manufacturing plant in Tennessee.
        In Alaska, the Denali Commission provided technical
    assistance to the Alaska Native Tribal Consortium to help
    secure over $90 million in Federal funding for broadband
    infrastructure in remote communities. Earlier this year, the
    Northern Border Regional Commission awarded a pre-development
    grant to a Vermont community which, once completed, will enable
    the private sector to create over 125 mixed income housing
    units in an area facing a major housing crisis.
        As our colleagues will recall, in March, the committee
    unanimously passed legislation to reauthorize each of our
    regional commissions that are represented before us here today,
    as well as the Economic Development Administration. Enacting
    this reauthorization bill into law is a crucial part of the
    work we must do in order to ensure that our regional
    commissions can continue to support economic growth in
    communities of all sizes throughout our Country. In fact, this
    legislation would also create two new regional commissions: the
    Mid-Atlantic Coast Regional Commission and the Southern New
    England Regional Commission.
        In closing, let me just say that we look forward to hearing
    more today from our witnesses about the impact that our
    regional commissions are having in communities both large and
    small. I look forward to working with our colleagues on this
    committee to ensure that our regional commissions have the
    tools and the resources that they need in order to support
    economic development and enable communities across our Country
    to succeed.
        With that, Senator Capito, you are recognized. Please
    proceed.

            OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO,
              U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA

        Senator Capito. Thank you, Chairman Carper, and thank you
    all for being here today. Thanks for this hearing.
        Again, I want to welcome our witnesses, the Federal co-
    chairs from the Delta Regional Authority, Denali Commission,
    Northern Border Regional Commission, Southeast Crescent
    Regional Commission, and the Southwest Border Regional
    Commission. Thank all of you for what we are going to hear.
        The strength of our regional commissions lies in their
    partnerships and coordination between the Federal Government
    and the States that are in their region.
        Often, the Governor of each State that is within the
    geographic target of the regional commission serves on that
    commission. Typically, a regional commission is co-chaired by a
    Federal political appointee that is confirmed with the advice
    and consent of the Senate and one Governor that is selected
    from the States covered by the commission. These entities
    utilize Federal funding to carry out State and local economic
    development priorities, and the Chairman has lined out a few of
    those for us today.
        The regional commissions' intergovernmental coordination is
    key to the success of the economic development efforts. Working
    with the appropriate States, these entities often make
    investments in various areas, such as basic infrastructure and
    work force training, development, that are critical to ensuring
    long-term economic growth and opportunity in their communities.
        Further, regional commissions must work in tandem with the
    EDA, the Economic Development Administration. Since EDA and the
    regional commissions have similar missions, they must
    strategically coordinate in order to avoid duplicative efforts
    and investments.
        We are here today to talk about best practices and success
    stories from some of our regional commissions that will help us
    to strike the balance and ensure our Federal investment is
    implemented efficiently to achieve the maximum benefit for the
    States and the communities that they serve. I look forward to
    hearing the ways to strengthen your partnerships with your
    States and your coordination with the EDA.
        Working with the Appalachian Regional Commission in my home
    State of West Virginia, I know how beneficial regional
    commissions can be and the positive impacts that they can have
    on communities. Our colleague's wife, Gayle Manchin, is the
    Federal co-chair of the ARC, and I see Guy Land back there, who
    I have worked with for many, many years on the ARC. They are
    not on the panel today because the legislation that we have, we
    have already reauthorized the ARC. How about that? How did that
    happen?
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Capito. Today, we want to make sure that we give
    you all the due attention.
        Anyway, they have invested $62 million just last year from
    Federal funding and then matched projects, 66 projects, just
    across our State. These projects served over 3,000 households
    and businesses, trained and educated over 2,000 students and
    workers. I know each of the regional commission Federal co-
    chairs before us is working in their areas to make the same
    type of impactful investments.
        To further these efforts back in March, Chairman Carper and
    I brought forward out bipartisan Economic Development
    Reauthorization Act before this committee, and the bill was
    reported favorably to the Senate by unanimous voice vote. Title
    II of the legislation reauthorizes a number of the regional
    commissions from the Fiscal Years 2025 through 2029. The bill
    will expand the type of activities that those regional
    commissions can carry out and provides flexibility to tailor
    those activities to the most pressing needs of their own
    communities.
        The bill also modernizes regional commissions'
    administration requirements to ensure more efficient
    operations. It is important that the Congress regularly
    reauthorize the regional commissions and examine what works
    best within their authorities and programs in order to ensure
    that they can continue to carry out their missions effectively.
        We look forward to working with our congressional
    colleagues so that the EDA reauthorization bill can become law.
        With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back to you.
        Senator Carper. Thank you, ma'am.
        I have been summoned to go to another, not a hearing, but
    actually a business meeting. We are marking up a number of
    bills in the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
    Affairs. I need to go there now.
        Senator Capito has kindly agreed to preside while I am
    away. I think the first order of business might be to, after
    you have introduced the four of our witnesses, to recognize
    Senator Sullivan to introduce our witness from the Denali
    Commission. Thank you for doing this. I will be back as soon as
    I can. Thank you.
        Senator Capito. [Presiding.] I am pleased to welcome Dr.
    Corey Wiggins, the Federal Co-Chair for the Delta Regional
    Authority to our committee. Corey has worked across academia,
    State government, nonprofits, and the private sector throughout
    his career. He has served as the head of the Delta Regional
    Authority since 2022.
        We are also joined today by Dr. Jennifer Clyburn Reed, the
    Federal Co-Chair of the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission.
    Throughout her career, she has been a small business owner,
    public servant, educator, and community advocate. She has
    served as head of the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission
    since 2021.
        Third, I would like to welcome Chris Saunders, the Federal
    Co-Chair of the Northern Border Regional Commission to our
    committee. Chris is no stranger to the Senate, having spent
    many years here as a member of Senator Leahy's staff. He has
    served as the head of the Northern Border Regional Commission
    since 2022.
        Finally, I am pleased to welcome Juan Sanchez, the Federal
    Co-Chair from the Southwest Border Regional Commission. He also
    is no stranger to the U.S. Senate. Before joining the Southwest
    Border Regional Commission, he worked for Senator Heinrich. He
    has served as the head of the commission since 2022.
        Senator Sullivan, I know you have an introduction of Ms.
    Fenton.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Senator Capito, and the Chair.
    Thank you for the opportunity to introduce Jocelyn Fenton, who
    is the Interim Federal Co-Chair of the Denali Commission.
        A little bit of background on the Denali Commission. This
    was Senator Stevens' and Congressman Young's focus on bringing
    national attention to the immense challenges and unique
    situations that many of my constituents in rural Alaska face.
    They designed the Denali Commission with Members of Congress in
    the Senate and the House for a way in which to address these
    unique challenges that often make life in Alaska much more
    costly and complex than our friends in the lower 48, as we call
    the rest of you guys, except Hawaii.
        Let me give you a couple of examples. Most of our villages
    cannot be accessed by roads, so you either have to fly there,
    or if they are on a river, take a boat, or a snow machine
    during the winter. That is 86 percent of Alaskan communities
    that are not connected by roads. In the lower 48, people cannot
    even conceive of that. Most of our State is that way.
        We have over 30 communities in Alaska that have no running
    water or flush toilets, so think about that. American citizens,
    who use what we call honey buckets in Alaska. Thousands of
    Alaskans use honey buckets. That is third-world sanitation.
    That is just not right.
        By the way, Madam Chair, some of the most patriotic
    communities in the Country, my State has more veterans per
    capita than any State in the Country, and Alaska Natives, where
    most of these challenges are, their villages serve at higher
    rates in the military than any other ethnic group in the
    Country. Yet, they go to the bathroom with honey buckets.
        Most of these communities are powered by diesel and are not
    on any kind of grid system. I like to say Alaska is resource
    rich, infrastructure poor. We have less road miles than
    Connecticut, and yet we are 120 times bigger than Connecticut.
        The Denali Commission has catalyzed much-needed
    development, particularly with a focus on infrastructure, water
    and sewer, power generation, transmission facilities, basic
    clinics, and communication systems, much of which is just
    expected if you live in the lower 48.
        Through vital tribal, State, and Federal partnerships, the
    commission has worked on a whole host of these kind of
    infrastructure projects and work force development projects
    that bring resiliency to over 300 communities, as I have said.
    Due to its proven success, the Denali Commission has become an
    invaluable asset for Alaska and our Nation on building out
    infrastructure, which is what, I think, every member of the
    Senate agrees is important for all Americans.
        Just recently, the Department of Defense, recognizing the
    commission's reach and strategic importance, identified it as a
    key partner in implementing the national strategy for the
    Department of Defense for the Arctic region, so an even broader
    element of the Denali Commission's relevance.
        With regard to Jocelyn, she has been doing a great job. She
    serves in a number of capacities, including this co-chair
    position on the Denali Commission, several boards involving our
    military, involving our Native communities, and involving our
    universities, involving Arctic leadership initiatives.
        Jocelyn, I have no idea when you sleep when I was reading
    your resume, but it is really impressive. Thanks for your great
    work. Thanks for your dedication and commitment to the people
    of Alaska.
        Madam Chair, this is a commission that not a lot of people
    know about, but it has really punched above its weight on
    issues that matter to all Alaskans, and to all Americans, that
    is basic infrastructure, which this committee is all about.
    Thank you very much.
        Senator Capito. Thank you, Senator.
        Corey, before I ask you to proceed, I looked up and looked
    out and saw my colleague over there from the House. We served
    together for 14 years. Congressman Jim Clyburn is here from
    South Carolina. Thank you for coming. Are you watching over--
    yes.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Capito. Welcome to you. Welcome to you, and thanks
    for coming over.
        Corey, you are up for 5 minutes.

      STATEMENT OF COREY WIGGINS, PH.D., FEDERAL CO-CHAIR, DELTA
                           REGIONAL AUTHORITY

        Mr. Wiggins. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my
    name is Dr. Corey Wiggins, and I have the privilege of serving
    as the Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority
    (DRA).
        Since its establishment in 2000, the agency's purpose has
    remained unchanged: to promote and encourage economic
    development in the DRA region. DRA's financial assistance
    programs provide targeted investments in 252 counties and
    parishes across our eight-State region, including parts of
    Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,
    Missouri, and Tennessee.
        Every 5 years, DRA, by statute, is responsible for creating
    a regional development plan with public input that is approved
    by our board of Governors. This plan serves as a guide to
    ensure we are meeting the needs of the region and DRA's
    mission.
        In February 2023, the Authority approved and released
    Navigating the Currents of Opportunity: Regional Development
    Plan Forward. The strategic goals identified for DRA over the
    next 5 years include expanding and investing in a resiliency of
    the region's public infrastructure, improving networks of
    agencies, organizations, businesses, and educational
    institutions providing work force development opportunities,
    strengthening and supporting the long-term growth of micro and
    small businesses, expanding efforts to support community place-
    making, and capacity building.
        DRA has pursued its vision of a region as a place where
    people and business have access to economic opportunities and
    vibrant, sustainable, and resilient communities. We execute on
    this vision through our programs that serve the region and
    through investments that support basic public infrastructure
    and transportation improvements, work force development
    programming, and expanding opportunity for small business
    development.
        Some examples of DRA programs and their impacts include:
    from 2017 to 2023, infrastructure work force development and
    small business development investments made through DRA's
    States Economic Development Assistance Program resulted in over
    500,000 families positively impacted by infrastructure
    projects; more than 160,000 individuals trained in work force
    development programs; and over 36,000 jobs were either created
    or retained in the region.
        In over 5 years, DRA's Community Infrastructure Fund, a
    program focused on basic public infrastructure investments, has
    resulted in nearly 311,000 families impacted by infrastructure
    projects, with approximately 15,000 jobs created or retained in
    the region.
        In total, for Fiscal Year 2023, DRA invested over $74
    million in funding throughout the region. The expected impact
    of this funding for nearly 165 projects in the region includes
    over 33,000 families affected via improved access to
    infrastructure, approximately 9,000 jobs created or retained,
    and over 31,000 individuals trained through work force program
    training.
        As we continue to assess our Fiscal Year 2024 projects and
    impact data, some highlighted regional investments include:
    awarding more than $10 million in investments to 23 projects in
    the region through the Delta Workforce Grant Program, an
    initiative designed to support work force training and
    education programs. We have awarded over $1.8 million to
    communities through the Strategic Planning Grant Program, DRA's
    newest initiative to support capacity-building in the region.
        DRA supports Title II of the Economic Development
    Reauthorization Act of 2024, which would reauthorize and update
    the programs of DRA and other regional commissions. Title II
    would bolster the place-based impact of regional commissions by
    further supporting economic development and improving
    infrastructure in underserved and distressed communities across
    the Nation.
        We thank the committee for including key proposals for the
    2025 budget in the bill, such as a user fee authority for DRA's
    Delta Doctors Program, repeal of DRA's sunsetting provision,
    and recognition of tribes as eligible recipients.
        DRA and its sister commissions serve a distinguished
    purpose and uniquely critical role within each of our regions.
    DRA's impact in the region is not just limited to the
    quantitative outputs from agency investments, but is also
    connected to our reputation as a regional partner working
    closely with local governments, local development districts,
    and our member States to help find solutions to the challenges
    experienced in the region.
        It is critical that DRA remains a vital partner in the
    region to foster inclusive communities, strengthen regional
    collaboration, achieve sustained, long-term economic
    development, and produce meaningful opportunities for all
    people in the DRA region.
        Thank you.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Wiggins follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Capito. Thank you. Next, we will hear from Dr.
    Jennifer Clyburn Reed. Jennifer, please proceed with your
    testimony.
        Thank you.

      STATEMENT OF HON. JENNIFER CLYBURN REED, ED.D., FEDERAL CO-
             CHAIR, SOUTHEAST CRESCENT REGIONAL COMMISSION

        Ms. Clyburn Reed. Good morning, Chairman Carper and Ranking
    Member Capito, committee members, and staff. Thank you for the
    opportunity to testify on behalf of the Southeast Crescent
    Regional Commission (SCRC) and share the progress that we have
    made since becoming active in early 2022.
        I begin by expressing support for Title II of the Economic
    Development Reauthorization Act.
        Many thanks to the Members of Congress and SCRC Governors
    who have supported the commission as we continue to assist its
    51 million residents. The region spans over 210,000 square
    miles across seven States, parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and
    Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and the
    whole State of Florida. Currently, SCRC covers the largest
    region of all active regional commissions.
        Historically, rural economies were sustained by agriculture
    and manufacturing industries, but these sectors have
    depreciated over the years. As a result, many rural areas are
    strangled with job losses and economic stagnation, prompting
    the need for regional commissions to spark economic innovation
    and revitalization efforts. As a member agency of the Rural
    Partners Network, SCRC has worked with USDA Rural Development
    and other Federal agencies to leverage resources to rural
    communities.
        Almost 3 years ago, I sat before this committee as a
    nominee. At the time, I identified three goals to pursue once
    confirmed: assess the needs of each community, identify
    regional challenges, and determine the path to move our
    distressed counties from transitional to attainment status.
        Data was compiled from a seven-State survey, virtual coffee
    and conversations, and collaboration sessions to author the
    Five-Year Strategic Plan. Participating States also created
    Economic Development Plans that illuminated each Governor's
    priorities, also aligning with SCRC's strategic plan and
    statutory language.
        During that same hearing, Senator Carper suggested that I
    find what works and do more of that. Early data collected found
    gaping holes in healthcare access. In response, SCRC
    implemented the J1 Visa Waiver Program, already offered by
    other regional commissions and proven highly successful. With
    the help of the Department of State, SCRC processed its first
    application in November 2022, and to date, has successfully
    placed 183 doctors where healthcare access was insufficient or
    absent.
        SCRC also commissioned a comprehensive health assessment
    for all 428 counties, which is now complete and will be
    published, along with our first white paper next month.
        Research shows a strong correlation between underemployment
    and negative health outcomes. A living wage shapes
    opportunities for childcare, education, food security, and
    housing. A responsive healthcare system helps foster economic
    growth. While these concepts are widely recognized in theory,
    SCRC is collecting data and acting on it to show how healthcare
    access contributes to achieving longstanding economic goals.
        I also stated during that hearing the commission would fund
    entities that make economic development a sustainable priority.
    In preparing to launch the first grant cycle, SCRC executed
    cooperative agreements with all participating States and 55
    local development districts.
        The launch of the inaugural $20 million Seed Grant Program
    yielded 363 pre-applications requesting $119 million. The
    competitive selection process narrowed that pool to 103 full
    applications, and I am honored to report that the 56 projects
    selected exceeded internal expectations and statutory
    requirements.
        Of the 129 counties impacted by the 56 projects, 103, or 80
    percent, are in distressed counties. The authorizing statute
    requires 50 percent of grant funds to be spent on projects in
    distressed counties. SCRC exceeded that by spending 77 percent
    of grant funds in distressed counties on 42 projects. Forty
    projects, or 71 percent, are infrastructure projects, which
    exceeds the 40 percent required. SCRC looks forward to
    continuing partnerships with local, State, and Federal entities
    that will assist in achieving the mission to alleviate the
    effects of poverty and ensure a prosperous future for all who
    call the Southeast Crescent home.
        Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Capito, and members of the
    committee, thank you, and I look forward to your questions.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. Clyburn Reed follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Capito. Thank you.
        Next, Chris Saunders.

     STATEMENT OF HON. CHRIS SAUNDERS, FEDERAL CO-CHAIR, NORTHERN
                       BORDER REGIONAL COMMISSION

        Mr. Saunders. Thank you, Chairman Carper, thank you,
    Ranking Member Capito, members of the committee, for the
    invitation to participate in this hearing and the opportunity
    to talk a little bit about the Northern Border Regional
    Commission (NBRC).
        I think, as you have heard from my peers and some of your
    own opening statements, there is something unique about the
    Federal commissions. The collaboration that is required, the
    elevation of local needs, the input from State partners, it is
    unique among Federal agencies in terms of how we develop a
    collaborative process.
        I think there are few places across the Federal Government
    where this model of collaboration is included, and likewise,
    our almost singular focus on place-based economic development
    is found not many other places within the Federal Government.
        My hope today, in addition to complement the testimony of
    my colleagues, is to highlight a couple characteristics of the
    Northern Border Regional Commission that demonstrate how we try
    and advance the well-being of the residents in our region.
    Specifically, it has been touched on a little bit this morning,
    our ability to effectively deliver resources to rural America,
    our commission's ability to focus resources on a specific
    regional need or an opportunity, and the non-monetary ways that
    commissions can deliver assistance.
        It has been my experience that the regional commissions are
    one of the most impactful models for directing Federal public
    investment to rural America. Thanks to the significant
    flexibility Congress has granted commissions in the way we
    design and administer our programs, we can really consider how
    best to deliver assistance in a manner that reflects the needs
    and really recognizes the capacity strengths of rural places.
        At NBRC, we have intentionally designed pathways into our
    programs that elevate first-time applicants in rural
    communities, and we are able to match technical assistance to
    small communities who have extremely modest municipal budgets
    and often rely on part-time or volunteer staff.
        Certainly, our focus on rural places is no accident. The
    largest city in our service area has just over 65,000
    residents. Even within this predominantly rural landscape, we
    are focused on directing resources to economically distressed
    areas that, too often, have been unable to harness Federal
    funding to improve their economies.
        To that point, nearly 60 percent of the grants we made in
    the last two rounds of our catalyst program were made to
    communities under 5,000 people. In short, we are getting help
    to the places that would otherwise never be able to participate
    in a Federal grant program.
        Beyond the flexibility that commissions have in program
    design, we can similarly pivot our focus to address key needs
    as they emerge. In the NBRC territory, the forest products
    industry is one such example. For generations, the wood
    projects and paper industries were really significant drivers
    of the economy in our region.
        As these legacy industries have faltered, it has really
    been a regional priority to find ways to develop new products
    and markets. For the past 6 years, we have focused resources
    through specific grant offerings to support innovation and
    infrastructure within the forest products industry, and these
    investments are having their intended impacts.
        This ability to move toward emerging challenges is also
    evident in our work to address major region-wide needs,
    specifically, a lack of access to childcare and to housing. The
    significant funds that Congress provided to NBRC through the
    Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allowed NBRC to revise our
    flagship grant program to prioritize these needs.
        These changes are likewise having the intended impact. In
    the past month, I have had the good fortune to travel to
    openings and groundbreakings for new childcare facilities in
    Ticonderoga, New York, Middlebury, Vermont, and Rangeley,
    Maine. These investments will result in hundreds of families
    receiving help so that they can work.
        I am happy to report there is a comparable level of
    activity in our infrastructure portfolio, with numerous awards
    that are laying the groundwork for the development of hundreds
    of units of housing.
        While the financial resources that the commission awards
    through grants are certainly the most prevalent ways that we
    make assistance available in the region, it is important to
    note that NBRC and its peers have other tools, as well. A
    couple of years ago, we recognized the need to organize and
    bolster the outdoor recreation industry within our region, and
    we coordinated multiple symposiums, which have proven to be
    catalyzing events for our States and informed NBRC's own work
    in this space.
        Outdoor rec speaks to a critical additional role of the
    commission. We are able to put a focus on innovations that
    expand emerging industries that have the potential to provide
    meaningful, well-paying jobs in areas where legacy industries
    have reduced growth and left residents with fewer economic
    opportunities.
        It is my hope that this brief overview offers some insight
    into the role that commissions play in the economic development
    ecosystem, and I am appreciative, again, of the opportunity to
    testify. I look forward to your questions.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Saunders follows:]

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        Senator Capito. Next, we will hear from Juan Sanchez. If
    you want to proceed with your testimony?

      STATEMENT OF HON. JUAN SANCHEZ, FEDERAL CO-CHAIR, SOUTHWEST
                       BORDER REGIONAL COMMISSION

        Mr. Sanchez. Thank you. Good morning, Chairman Carper,
    Ranking Member Capito, and members of the committee and staff.
    Thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of the
    Southwest Border Regional Commission. I am Juan Sanchez, the
    first Federal co-chair of the commission, and I am honored to
    share our progress and challenges as we aim to serve the
    southwest.
        The commission comprises 93 counties and 35 million people
    throughout Arizona, New Mexico, California and Texas. Our aim
    is to help foster economic development, help create jobs, and
    empower our communities.
        In January 2023, I was entrusted with the responsibility to
    establish the commission and develop its operating
    infrastructure from the ground up. My first task was to secure
    the participation of our four Governors, whose ideology spans
    the political spectrum. It speaks to the importance of the
    commission that we were able to reach a consensus, and as of
    June 2023, all four States were participating.
        Together, we have reach agreements on the operating
    procedures, funding allocations, administrative support, our
    grants process, and a vision for the commission. I would like
    to thank our first State co-chair, Governor Michelle Lujan
    Grisham from New Mexico, our other Governors, Governor
    alternatives, and staff who have dedicated their time,
    financial resources, and efforts to ensure the success of the
    commission.
        Once convened, our next challenge was to assess our region.
    We identified barriers to economic development and created our
    strategic goals. We assessed the condition of each one of our
    counties, utilizing their demographic data, including poverty
    rate per capita income and unemployment rate. We ranked and
    designated each one of our counties.
        Of the SPRC's 93 counties, 37 were classified as
    distressed, 41 as transitional, and 15 as attainment. Overall,
    the commission's average poverty rate stands at 18 percent,
    significantly higher than the national average of 12.6 percent,
    and translated into 5 million people living in poverty.
        We identified unique distressed communities, such as
    colonias, which is the Spanish word for neighborhood. Colonias
    are economically distressed communities located within 150
    miles over the U.S.-Mexico border, often lacking a governing
    structure and basic infrastructure. Families living in colonias
    are without adequate housing or essential services, like
    potable water, plumbing, sewage, paved roads, broadband.
    Approximately 100,000 people lack adequate drinking water and
    sanitation, with one-third of the folks living in colonias
    having no access to water or wastewater facilities.
        The commission also comprises 51 federally recognized
    Tribes. Collectively, our tribes have a poverty rate of 44
    percent and an unemployment rate of 12 percent. A drastic
    comparison to the U.S. average is of 12 and 4.2, respectively.
    Tribal communities also face severe infrastructure challenges
    and lack adequate drinking water and sanitation facilities, as
    well as other essential services, such as broadband.
        The commission seeks to enhance tribal capacity and promote
    self-governance and has set aside, at minimum, 5 percent of our
    total funds to tribal communities.
        We identified other interrelated challenges. The
    commission's region suffers critical shortages of healthcare
    professionals. Every county within the region is designated a
    health professional shortage area by HHS in primary health,
    mental health, and dental care.
        We additionally conducted extensive outreach with hundreds
    of community stakeholders across four States, including mayors,
    economists, nonprofits, universities, chambers of commerce,
    industry groups, and more to identify the most significant
    barriers to economic development.
        The most common barriers as addressed by our stakeholders
    include capacity gaps. Capacity remains a significant barrier
    in our distressed communities, which often lack technical,
    managerial, and financial capacity. Distressed communities
    often stated that their minimal staff is overburdened with
    administrative duties.
        The secondary barrier was matching requirements. The SBRC
    serves some of the most poor communities in the Country, often
    lacking a substantial tax base to generate revenue and secure
    matching funds. Federal and State grant programs often require
    a match, which is a significant barrier for our most
    impoverished communities.
        Third was data availability. The respondents indicated that
    there was insufficient access to data and research on the
    issues impacting their community, noting that much of the
    research is conducted by entities outside of their community.
        Finally, the communities felt that they were participating
    and were disadvantaged when competing for competitive grants.
    The lack of technical support, resources, and specialized staff
    in these communities, such as grant writers and grant
    administrators, puts them at a significant disadvantage in
    competitive grant competitions.
        To address some of these barriers, the commission, to help
    advance equity, the commission will allocate 50 percent of its
    total funds to distressed areas to build capacity. Our new
    grant program allows for an increased use of administrative
    funds for up to 30 percent, and we are also allowing local
    development districts to apply on behalf of distressed
    communities and serve as an administrative agent.
        To reduce cost and try to eliminate the matching
    requirements, the SBRC aims to co-invest with other Federal
    agencies and has signed agreements with USDA Rural Development
    and other Federal agencies to co-invest in distressed
    communities.
        Moving forward, the commission will host a series of open
    houses in partnership with our local universities. We will
    publish our 5-year plan in November, begin conducting grant
    webinars in December, and we are on track to open our first
    grant competition in 2025.
        Finally, I want to wish a sincere appreciation to the
    committee for their work on S. 3991. We are particularly
    thankful for the provisions which waive the matching
    requirements for Indian tribes and colonias, extend our
    authorization through Fiscal Year 2029, and provide the
    commission the ability to offer demonstration healthcare
    projects.
        We look forward to working with the Congress and are
    pleased to answer any questions. Thank you.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Sanchez follows:]

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        Senator Capito. Thank you.
        Next, we will have Ms. Fenton. If you want to give us your
    testimony?

             STATEMENT OF JOCELYN FENTON, INTERIM FEDERAL
                      CO-CHAIR, DENALI COMMISSION

        Ms. Fenton. Good morning, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member
    Capito, and honorable members of the committee and staff, thank
    you for inviting me to testify and providing an opportunity to
    present you with an update of the Denali Commission in concert
    with the other regional commissions.
        We thank you and the Members of Congress who have
    recognized the achievements and value of the Denali Commission
    over the last 25 years, whose purpose is to deliver services of
    the Federal Government in the most cost-effective manner.
        Alaska is home to 229 tribes and 160 municipalities,
    ranging in size from about 20 to 300,000 residents. Eighty-six
    percent of municipalities are not connected to the road system,
    which means everything needs to be barged or flown in. It can
    drive up costs and create logistical challenges, especially in
    inclement weather.
        Many of the smaller communities do not have much in the way
    of a cash economy, and many who live there have a deep-rooted
    cultural and subsistence lifestyle, which not only provides the
    food they consume, but there are also techniques and traditions
    that are valued and that should be preserved for future
    generations.
        For Fiscal Year 2024, the commission will be making awards
    that total just over $32 million, of which 93 percent will go
    to distressed areas. I like to say we were Justice 40 before
    Justice 40 was cool.
        The Denali Commission has been most successful by focusing
    on preparing projects for larger funding programs, by providing
    planning or design assistance, gap funding when projects
    experience unexpected cost increases or delays, or by
    contributing to a community's non-Federal match local
    requirement.
        In those areas where the infrastructure base is frequently
    decades behind the rest of the Country, municipalities often do
    not have tax authority, and there is not much to tax if they
    did. We appreciate the consideration of lowering local match
    requirements for distressed, tribal, and Alaska Native
    villages.
        The Denali Commission and other regional commissions have
    the unique authorities and tools and are best positioned to
    support disadvantaged rural populations. In the last 6 years,
    the commission has expanded its program offerings, diversifying
    back into its legacy programs, and adding new programs to
    reflect critical needs, the public funding available at the
    time, and to leverage partnership opportunities. Over the life
    of the commission, we have modified programs to reflect the
    needs and public funding available at the time.
        There are three ways that we facilitate investments. One,
    priority lists, such as the Rural Power System Upgrade Program,
    the Bulk Fuel Upgrade Program, statewide threat assessment for
    communities facing environmental threats, the Sanitation
    Deficiency System, and in the early 2000's, a list for rural
    primary care clinics. Two, annual competitive funding
    opportunities; and three, individual discretionary funding
    through justifications, partnerships, and transfers.
        Allow me to share some of the highlights that reflect the
    Administration's goals and describe some innovative
    partnerships.
        For energy, our program focuses on rural power system
    upgrades while incorporating renewables. A recently completed
    900 kilowatt wind turbine, in connection to the existing
    electrical distribution system between Stebbins and St.
    Michael, now provides fluctuation-resistant wind energy,
    offsetting hundreds of gallons of diesel each year and
    facilitating days of ``diesel-off'' operation in both
    communities.
        For bulk fuel, the Denali Commission is at the forefront of
    addressing the urgent need to upgrade Alaska's aging bulk fuel
    farms, which are vital for powering communities. Despite a $250
    million investment over 25 years, less than 50 percent of the
    need has been met, while climate change accelerates
    infrastructure decay.
        The commission is exploring efficiencies and advocating for
    urgent action to prevent an impending environmental crisis due
    to deteriorating fuel storage infrastructure, some of which is
    up to 75 years old. Many tanks have outlived their foundations
    and are sitting on the ground, some without secondary
    containment.
        For transportation, in Fiscal Year 2022 and 2023, through
    newfound partnerships and collaboration with the State of
    Alaska and Federal Highways, the recently reinvigorated
    transportation program awarded 59 surface and waterfront
    improvement projects for a combined total of $33 million for
    the direct benefit of 49 communities around the State.
        For housing, notable projects to encourage housing
    innovation and de-risk private development include affordable
    housing assessments and strategy development, climate-specific
    housing best practices, site-controlled platting, surveying,
    given landownership, and complications on tribal lands, and
    continually evaluating the housing life cycle, assessing timber
    utilization, better sawmills to develop rural home kits,
    locally produced trusses, and everything in between.
        The commission is advancing materials science and additive
    manufacturing in Alaska by developing the State's first 3D
    concrete printed house and a rural-specific infrastructure
    printing robot. Through partnerships with leading research
    institutions and local organizations, the commission is paving
    the way for utilizing local materials like gravel and biomass
    to reduce supply chain costs, enhance automation, and tackle
    work force challenges, all while driving innovation and
    construction technology.
        For water and sanitation, about 20 percent of Alaska Native
    homes in rural Alaska lack access to water and sewer services.
    Many solid waste systems in rural Alaska also lack protections
    for human health and the environment. The sanitation program
    benefits from the commission's unique transfer authority in
    several ways. We have a partnership with Indian Health Service,
    with a transfer from the commission to Indian Health Service,
    and then we also have partnerships where EPA transfers funds to
    the commission to consolidate and combine funding for the
    progress of rural Alaska.
        Recognizing the benefits that broadband brings to rural
    areas, since 2019, utilizing just under $3 million, the
    commission has initiated comprehensive outreach efforts to
    assist and fund in-depth applications to achieve 187
    independent 2.5 gigahertz FCC tribal licenses, in addition to
    our recent leveraging of over $200 million in broadband
    deployment since 2022.
        For work force and economic development, we have found
    timely success through reinvigorating the regional Alaska
    development organizations, each with a $75,000 grant and a
    simple instruction to double that funding to promote a pipeline
    of projects within a year.
        This led to a partnership leveraging a $49 million award
    from the EDA's Build Back Better Regional Challenge. This award
    is anticipated to grow the mariculture industry to a target of
    $325 million per year, supporting 1,800 jobs across the State
    from Ketchikan to Southeast to Unalaska, far out in the
    Aleutian Chain, over the next 20 years.
        Other innovative partnerships include promoting the
    recreation economy, both through direct awards to recipients
    and financially participating in EPA's Recreation Economy for
    Rural Communities Program for at least two projects in Alaska.
        Our Village Infrastructure Protection Program works with
    tribal, local regional, State, and Federal partners to continue
    to support the resilience of Alaskan communities by protecting
    public investment in critical infrastructure. We fund the
    planning, partnership, and construction efforts to move
    communities to safer environments while also protecting
    communities in place and assisting in a managed retreat.
        For land and water resources, we are in the beginning
    stages of setting up a forestry, soil, and water conservation
    program, partnering with USDA Forest Service and Natural
    Resource Conservation Service. This program will provide
    technical assistance to soil and water conservation districts,
    match funding when needed, and work with other agriculture
    producers to promote food security, wood use innovations,
    biomass energy, insulation and other building materials, fire
    fuel mitigation, and stream habitat improvements.
        Last, as the only Alaska-headquartered Federal agency, the
    Denali Commission serves as a critical hub for White House-led
    working groups and Arctic policy. As a principal member of the
    Arctic Executive Steering Committee under the Executive Office
    of the President and the Interagency Arctic Policy Committee,
    the commission offers direct advocacy for pressing scientific
    and policy needs.
        This includes updating the statewide Threat Assessment for
    IARPC's Risk Management and Hazard Mitigation priorities, asset
    mapping for infrastructure prediction, and long-term data
    management. The commission actively promotes Arctic security
    through its involvement through the National Strategy for the
    Arctic Region and other intergovernmental efforts, recognizing
    that a resilient Arctic is essential for broader security.
        The regional commissions were all created as a Federal-
    State partnership to focus on the needs of rural communities,
    and the Denali Commission prides itself in the successes seen
    from working closely with the State of Alaska, Federal
    partners, tribes, tribal consortia, and other non-Federal
    entities to address these growing challenges.
        After 25 years of service, and particularly in the last 6
    year, I am quite proud of the progress we have made in
    supporting Alaska's future.
        Thank you.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. Fenton follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Capito. Thank you.
        We will go to the question portion. I would go first, but I
    am going to cede my time to Senator Boozman, as we have a busy
    day, and he has a busy day, so Senator Boozman, and then I will
    go to Senator Stabenow.
        Senator Boozman. Thank you. I have to run to the floor in
    just a minute.
        I really wanted to hang around and just thank you all for
    all the work that you do. Your budgets are not very great, but
    those dollars that you have, being able to intervene and really
    knowing the communities that you are serving makes a huge
    difference.
        Let me ask you, Dr. Wiggins. In recent years, Arkansas has
    been devastated by natural disasters from tornadoes and wind,
    historic flooding along the Arkansas River, the impacts of
    which are still being dealt with. Once the dust has settled and
    the rubble has been cleared, communities struggle to continue
    growth and retain residents.
        In what ways has DRA assisted in disaster recovery efforts,
    and I know you have, in Arkansas and the rest of the Delta?
        Mr. Wiggins. Yes, sir, thank you for that question. Many
    communities, as you have mentioned, have been impacted by
    disasters across our region. We have been working actually, in
    Wynne, Arkansas. As a matter of fact, the mayor of Wynne,
    Arkansas just recently completed our leadership institute that
    we operate at DRA.
        We are leaning in in disaster-impacted communities, meeting
    with local officials, talking with them on how they best
    support, and part of our grant-making program allows us to look
    a little bit deeper, particularly in those areas impacted by
    disasters. We are there; we are present, and that is an issue
    that will continue to remain top of mind for us, as well.
        Senator Boozman. Good, very good. Thank you.
        I noticed, Mr. Sanchez, in your testimony, you talked about
    grant writers, and how difficult it was to have the knowledge
    and stuff. Chairwoman Stabenow is on our committee, and I have
    the pleasure of working with her. This is something that we
    hear constantly. I know that, Congressman Clyburn, the same
    thing. It should not be that if you have a good education, that
    you have to hire a $30,000 grant writer in a very, very small
    community.
        Can you all, maybe you can start, Ms. Reed, could you just
    comment on that, the problem, if you are seeing the same thing
    that we are hearing about in the ag community and the rest of
    our committees about how difficult that is? I know we had a
    lady and a mayor in Mountainburg, Arkansas that, as a result of
    getting the project started and done, we were able to knock out
    the biggest pocket that we had of people that were hauling
    water and things.
        The problems they had of figuring out the grant, trying to
    get a grant writer, we were able to step in. Lots of people
    stepped in to help out, people like you. Can you comment about
    that, just a little bit, so we can get that on the record?
        Ms. Clyburn Reed. Absolutely. Thank you for that question,
    and it is an ongoing and broad problem. The approach that we
    have taken at SCRC is a tiered approach. We have the commission
    and we have entered into agreements with the States. We have
    entered into agreements with the local development districts,
    who are on the ground and work with these communities on a
    daily basis and the community organizations.
        The support that we have given, and we are giving, to the
    local development districts is just that, so that they will be
    able to help entities like described, who can not write those
    grants, but the local development districts will be able to
    support them in that way. We are building capacity all the way
    up the pipeline so that we do not continue to have those
    issues.
        Senator Boozman. Very good. I hope that we can all work
    together to, I know, again, the Chairwoman has been a great
    leader on this, Congressman Clyburn also. There is no excuse
    for making things so very, very difficult. That is one of the
    things in government that does not cost any money. That is
    something that will save our municipalities a great deal of
    money.
        Again, thank you all again for all that you do. We really
    do appreciate your efforts. Thank you.
        Thank you, Madam Chair.
        Senator Carper. [Presiding.] Senator Capito, thank you for
    presiding.
        I think Senator Stabenow is next. Welcome, good to see you.
        Senator Stabenow. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman,
    Ranking Member, and to my friend and Ranking Member in the Ag
    Committee, I could not agree more. We know. We just pull our
    hair out trying to cut the paperwork, and particularly get
    small communities the help that they need.
        I also want to join in saying thank you to all of you. You
    are doing an incredible job encouraging economic development,
    boosting community development, particularly in rural and
    economically distressed areas, so thank you for that.
        Ms. Clyburn Reed, on top of everything else, you have your
    dad sitting here, so no pressure. It is good to see you,
    Congressman.
        It is so important. We would not have gotten where we are
    without our Federal co-chairs. I have to say that I am
    especially excited now because we have the creation of a new
    regional commission. I appreciate so much the leadership of the
    committee in helping us get the Great Lakes Authority, so we
    are looking forward to that.
        I was pleased to lead the bill in the Senate. My friend,
    Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur really led and created this whole
    push that has done a marvelous job in the House and moving
    things forward.
        We have the first round of funding for that program, and we
    know that combining Federal money with State resources, as all
    of you have done, that this new Great Lakes Authority is going
    to serve as a really important new economic development agency
    for the Great Lakes region. The partnership is going to give
    us, as you have all talked about, the tools to create jobs,
    boost the economy, transform communities.
        I am really excited about President Biden's nomination of
    Matt Kaplan to serve as one of your colleagues, as the first
    Federal co-chair of the Great Lakes Commission. In order for
    them to move ahead, obviously, they have to have that
    leadership.
        I look forward with the committee to be approving his
    nomination and confirming him. He is well-qualified for the
    position, having two decades of experience working on Great
    Lakes issues, which we like to say, the ocean without the salt.
    Ninety-five percent of the freshwater in our Country surrounds
    us. We consider that a real duty to protect that water.
        I am hopeful that we can join together on a bipartisan
    basis to confirm this important position, because the sooner
    the Great Lakes can begin its important work, the sooner
    Michiganders and residents of all the Great Lakes are going to
    feel the benefits as they are feeling in your regions.
        A question, Mr. Saunders. In your testimony, you stated
    that regional commissions are one of the most impactful models
    for directing Federal investment, public investment, to rural
    communities. I could not agree more. Can you elaborate a bit
    more on how the Northern Border Regional Commission has been
    effective with rural communities?
        Mr. Saunders. Absolutely. Thank you, Senator. I appreciate
    the question, and I think there are some themes that Senator
    Boozman raised as well.
        In my time as a staffer on Capitol Hill, I recall a time
    where it took an act of Congress for another agency to rewrite
    one of its grant programs, where the application was 80 pages
    long, and no community where there is a volunteer select board
    member working hard at night was going to be able to complete
    that process. That agency revised it to eight pages.
        You all have given us great flexibility in designing our
    programs, so we can regularly revise our applications and think
    about what the capacity of those communities we are trying to
    serve really is, and we can also match technical assistance.
    Dr. Clyburn Reed spoke to that.
        We have resources that we distribute through our State
    members that help organizations fill out applications and even,
    really, get ideas from a concept to an application. We find
    that that is one of the biggest struggles for really rural
    places is that folks may sit around the coffee shop and say, I
    wish this would happen in my town. It takes an effort to turn
    that idea into something that folks can rally around and then
    turn into a grant application.
        We provide assistance to communities to move ideas from a
    concept phase to a project phase and have targeted resources in
    a couple of different ways to do that.
        Senator Stabenow. You also talked in your comments about
    non-monetary contributions to the region, which you have talked
    about. Could you expand a little bit more about what that looks
    like?
        Mr. Saunders. Right, so we see both convenings, the ability
    to get folks together to focus on a specific topic. I
    referenced outdoor recreation. The northeast is known for lots
    of outdoor recreation, but we were not seeing much coordination
    among that industry, and not a connection between folks working
    to promote outdoor recreation and businesses that sold goods.
        We held this symposium to try and strengthen those
    connections. We saw each of our States create offices of
    outdoor recreation. We saw State legislatures look at the work
    we had done and create their own grant programs. We see this
    convening power, really, as a way that we are not spending,
    making a grant, but that we are bringing people together around
    a topic.
        Dr. Clyburn Reed also spoke about the J1 Visa Program. In
    our region, that program does not cost a healthcare facility
    anything to apply to get a doctor to come work in a rural
    distressed place, and we can contribute to better health
    outcomes through that program.
        Senator Stabenow. Terrific. Thanks so much.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Carper. We thank you. Senator Capito?
        Senator Capito. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank all of you
    for being here. Just curious, just to start really quickly, a
    quick question. Ms. Fenton mentioned, obviously, the Denali
    Commission is just one State.
        Where is your commission located? Just go through really
    quickly, and then I will ask a deeper question here.
        Mr. Wiggins. Our Delta Regional Authority's headquarter
    office is in Clarksville, Mississippi.
        Senator Capito. Thanks.
        Ms. Clyburn Reed. SCRC is headquartered in Columbia, South
    Carolina.
        Senator Capito. OK.
        Mr. Saunders. Concord, New Hampshire, but our team is
    entirely remote.
        Senator Capito. OK.
        Mr. Sanchez. Las Cruces, New Mexico.
        Senator Capito. Great, good. Thank you.
        In my initial statement, I talked about coordination with
    EDA. Ms. Fenton mentioned a large grant that she had procured,
    an EDA grant, but I did not hear much about the EDA from the
    four of you.
        Could you briefly speak about your coordination effort with
    EDA and how you think we could make these work better together,
    if they are not, well, you can always do better, so why do not
    you tell me about what kind of coordination, and we will just
    go down the row, here.
        Mr. Wiggins. We work wonderfully with EDA. As a matter of
    fact, just last month, we announced a little bit over $4
    million of leveraged EDA funding throughout the DRA region. One
    particular project was in Pine Bluff, Arkansas for about $1.3
    million.
        What was unique about it was the opportunity to leverage
    EDA funding. We had investments from the Walton Family
    Foundation as well, bringing in some philanthropic funding as
    well, but we work hand in hand with EDA on these projects.
        Senator Capito. What kind of project was that?
        Mr. Wiggins. It was a small business and retail incubator
    in downtown Pine Bluff, Arkansas where they were revitalizing
    the downtown area, old buildings, putting it back into use. It
    had great community support and was able to leverage funding
    through EDA and support for the Walton Family Foundation, as
    well.
        Senator Capito. Perfect, thank you. Next?
        Ms. Clyburn Reed. At SCRC, we are just beginning to build
    those partnerships with Federal agencies. The descriptor that
    was just given by Dr. Wiggins sounds very much like something
    that we can replicate throughout our region. There are several
    buildings that are waiting for use, they are sitting empty. It
    would be great if we could have those partnerships, and we are
    working on leveraging that at SCRC.
        Senator Capito. Great, thank you. Mr. Saunders?
        Mr. Saunders. We utilize a lot of the same local partners
    Senator Carper talked about, none of us really being job
    creators. EDA utilizes economic development districts. We often
    utilize those same organizations for our local development
    districts and invest in them to take the plans they produce for
    EDA to put into action.
        We similarly have some projects where we co-invest in a
    rural place with 5,000 people. If there is a $10 million, $20
    million project, the organizers of that project are not going
    to be able to use one source to get it done. They may talk to
    EDA, they may talk to us. We are really cognizant of what that
    agency can and cannot do.
        Things that may not figure out, pencil out well when a
    project comes together, say, a housing development, that is not
    going to score well in an EDA application, but it is a really
    dire need in many rural places. We look for the spots that they
    cannot fund and try to move into those as well.
        Senator Capito. Good. Mr. Sanchez?
        Mr. Sanchez. We are incorporating the EDA CEDS plan into
    our 5-year plans, so that we can co-invest in projects.
    Additionally, the local economic development districts are
    eligible to apply on behalf of distressed communities. They are
    the ones who administer and follow EDA CEDS plans, so we
    anticipate we will have a lot of co-investment.
        Senator Capito. OK. Ms. Fenton, you mentioned one project
    you are working. Do you have one EDA representative in Alaska
    for your State solely?
        Ms. Fenton. We are happy to work closely with our one EDA
    representative in Alaska, along with our Alaska regional
    development organizations, and pairing that EDA opportunity to
    Denali Commission, and how can we leverage those opportunities,
    either through technical assistance, or working closely with
    the various applicants to really put together a fundable
    project that makes sense for Alaska's economy.
        Senator Capito. I know the emphasis on infrastructure,
    these are expensive projects. No one funding source, unless you
    are very lucky, can actually cover all this. That is the
    coordination.
        I will note that I heard in almost everybody's statement
    that you do quite a bit of coordination with USDA Rural
    Development. Then with this broadband money coming into the
    States, that is going to be a really critical piece for all
    your commissions. It certainly is in our State.
        You have mentioned a couple of best practices. It seems
    like you all kind of have compared and talked a little bit,
    sometimes you do not have to reinvent the wheel, you can just
    use good ideas from other commissions.
        Dr. Clyburn Reed mentioned the J1, and you mentioned it
    again, Mr. Saunders. Do you have any other best practices that
    you would want to share right here that maybe works
    particularly well for your commission? Dr. Wiggins?
        Mr. Wiggins. Sure. I think one of the areas, and we have
    all talked about regional capacity building. Many of our
    communities we are serving in that are small, rural, part-time
    mayors, part-time alder folks are leading. We have really
    leaned in a lot to capacity building by working with
    established partners like community development financial
    institutions, university partners, other philanthropic
    organizations, trying to leverage our resources, their
    resources, in a way to think about while we can not write
    grants, there are institutions who can work with them and
    support them along the way.
        Capacity building has been one of those things at the top
    of the line, making sure that rural communities are not left
    out of the amounts of historic Federal funding that is
    available for infrastructure.
        Senator Capito. Anything else anybody would like to add?
    Yes, go ahead.
        Ms. Clyburn Reed. One thing I wanted to add was to look at
    our universities and colleges in our region. One thing that
    SCRC is approaching is an HBCU convening. Thirty-eight of the
    103 HBCUs in the Country are in the Southeast Crescent region.
    It just makes sense for us to form that partnership and convene
    them, so that we can talk about ways to benefit from SCRC.
        We have had no applicants from the HBCU in our first round,
    and it is just the first round. We have no applicants. We want
    to make sure that is not a resource that we are leaving out.
        Senator Capito. That is good. Mr. Saunders?
        Mr. Saunders. These are some of the external ways we
    coordinate, as you noted, very much on an internal basis. We
    share ideas about grant programs and contracting. Senator
    Stabenow mentioned the nominee for the Great Lakes Authority.
    We have already engaged with him to talk about developing a
    vision.
        There is both this external work that happens as well as
    internal best practices that we can share to be effective.
        Senator Capito. Mr. Sanchez, did you have something?
        Mr. Sanchez. I appreciate the support from the other
    regional commissions who have given us a guiding light. Our
    commission tries to use our authority, our flexibility, to fill
    in the gaps what other agencies are not funding. An example is,
    residents often bear the cost of laying down service pipes from
    the main line. That is something that many Federal agencies do
    not cover.
        Another example is the pre-development studies. We can fund
    engineering studies, archeological studies, and those happen to
    be barriers for distressed communities. We are trying to fill
    in in the gaps and co-invest.
        Senator Capito. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Carper. Thank you.
        Before we turn to Senator Whitehouse, I am going to come
    back to you, Mr. Saunders. Who would you say is the most famous
    country and western singer ever born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas?
        Would you believe Johnny Cash? He is a native of Pine
    Bluff, Arkansas. I was sitting here thinking, what famous
    person is from there, and it is Johnny Cash. His biggest hit
    song ever written by his wife, June, was ``I Fell Into a
    Burning Ring of Fire.'' We want to make sure that folks across
    the Country do not fall into a burning ring of fire, and if
    they do that, we can pull them out.
        With that, Sheldon, you are recognized. I am going to leave
    for just a second but I will be back right away.
        Senator Whitehouse. Mr. Chairman, you are a fountain of
    rock and roll trivia.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Carper. My wife says it is worthless information,
    but I promoted my first concert when I was a student at Ohio
    State, and I love this. I have been doing this much of my life.
    If I could do anything in my life, I would play third base for
    the Detroit Tigers and promote concerts. Maybe I will have a
    chance to try that in about 2 months.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Whitehouse. The only one who is worse than the
    Chairman is Leader Schumer.
        Senator Carper. Oh, yes, he is good.
        Senator Whitehouse. His mind is an absolute closet of old
    song lyrics. When I consider how much he has to think about
    every day, the idea that he has the space for all those lyrics
    is----
        Senator Carper. Well, he has his priorities in the right
    place.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Whitehouse. Anyway, thank you for this hearing.
    Commissioner Clyburn Reed, I am particularly glad you are here,
    because you have attracted a legendary legislator who is here
    in his role as proud papa. I too have a daughter, so I know how
    wonderful the role of proud papa is. Thank you for that.
        I want to thank the Ranking Member and the Chairman,
    because our recent EDA reauthorization included our Southern
    New England Regional Commission. Mr. Clyburn will remember well
    how hard my colleague, David Cicilline, worked to try to get
    this Southern New England Regional Commission across the line.
    He actually once even got it into the House NDAA bill, which is
    usually a sign that it is headed for passage.
        One thing or another always prevented it. Now it is in the
    EDA reauthorization, along with the Mid-Atlantic one, and we
    are looking forward to finally getting that accomplished.
        I am particularly interested in what each of your advice
    would be to a Senator who has--knock wood--a brand-new regional
    commission to work with. What is the best piece of advice you
    could give me? What is the worst thing we should steer away
    from?
        Mr. Wiggins, let me start with you and just go right across
    the table.
        Mr. Wiggins. Senator, thank you for that question. I think
    the best piece of advice is the work you are already doing now
    about being present in your State and your region. I think the
    most important thing for that regional commission is being able
    to listen to stakeholders, whether it is Federal or local
    elected officials that we are serving. Being able to provide
    your thoughts and opinions over where resources need to go or
    should be top of mind for whoever is leading the commission.
        I think that would be my best piece of advice.
        Senator Whitehouse. Thank you. Commissioner?
        Ms. Clyburn Reed. Thank you for the question, Senator.
        Since I have just gone through this exercise to buildup a
    commission, the best advice is to get to know who it is that
    you will serve. You cannot do anything for anybody without
    talking to them first. We have all sat around enough meetings
    and tables to come up with ideas of how to make things better
    for people without talking to the actual people.
        That is my advice, to ensure that you are communicating
    with those communities directly, so that they are part of the
    process and they feel heard.
        Senator Whitehouse. Commissioner?
        Mr. Saunders. Our commission was founded with the northern
    forest in mind, and as I mentioned, kind of faltering forestry
    industry as a call to action. If I am not mistaken, there is a
    similar concern about the historic boat building industries in
    southern New England and some other common themes that drove
    the economy there.
        We were able to unite States around an idea, either to help
    reinvigorate this industry or to think about other paths
    forward for the communities where that was no longer a viable
    opportunity. Outdoor recreation proved to be one of those
    calling cards for communities where forestry had passed them by
    and was not going to be the future.
        I think finding some of those common themes that ties the
    region together and are easy rallying cries. Governors do not
    know before a commission is set up what these organizations are
    supposed to do. Finding common themes that bring them to the
    table, particularly if they are going to be committing State
    resources to their operation, is pretty important.
        Senator Whitehouse. Ours are pretty straightforward. It is
    blue economy stuff and the risks to coastal economies of sea
    level rise, storm risk, insurance difficulty, all the things
    that come that, frankly, we are seeing worst case scenarios
    beginning to play out in Florida right now as property
    insurance becomes unaffordable or unavailable.
        Commissioner?
        Mr. Sanchez. Thank you, Senator. My advice would be to form
    partnerships. As I have been establishing this commission, I am
    surprised at how excited people are in the region. I think it
    is because the commission offers a lot of flexibilities and
    capabilities that other Federal agencies do not, and can help
    solve problems that have existed for generations. Those
    partnerships will be critical, and will open up co-investment
    opportunities.
        Senator Whitehouse. Got it. Ms. Fenton?
        Ms. Fenton. I would echo the partnerships, determine the
    gaps of other programs, possibly ineligible costs. That leaves
    room for innovations for our programmatic flexibility. I would
    say institute technical assistance or a capacity building
    programs to stand up your local development districts, lean on
    the development organizations of your region.
        Last, have priority lists. Put together some data. Find
    priority lists to avoid grant applications. You are
    streamlining administrative efficiencies and putting the
    funding and the projects in the areas that need it most.
        Senator Whitehouse. OK. That is all very helpful. I hope
    that is advice we get to put to practical use soon when we have
    our own commission. I will say that I was pleased to hear
    Senator Sullivan's compliments to you and the commission,
    because he and I do a lot of work in areas like ocean plastics
    and international fisheries protection. He is very good to work
    with on those issues.
        Thank you very much.
        Ms. Felton. Let's talk about the blue economy and have them
    give me a call.
        Senator Whitehouse. OK. Thanks, Chairman.
        Senator Carper. Sheldon, thank you very much.
        Maybe a question for Ms. Fenton and Ms. Clyburn Reed. The
    question I would have for both of you would be----
        Senator Whitehouse. Chairman, can I interrupt on an
    unrelated point?
        Senator Carper. Yes.
        Senator Whitehouse. The curtains are open today. The room
    has daylight in it. Thank you for that. I like that.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Carper. I remember saying here 1 day, let there be
    light. The next thing you know----
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Carper. All right. Ms. Fenton, Ms. Clyburn Reed,
    take it away. One benefit of the regional approach is that the
    assistance that you provide for communities can be tailored to
    the unique challenges in each of your regions, including
    challenges that are presented by various extreme weather
    events. Question for both of you. Ms. Fenton, as you well know,
    Alaska, like many of our States, is susceptible to any number
    of natural disasters like earthquakes, tidal waves, and more.
        Would you share with us how your commission helps
    communities of all sizes recover from the impact of extreme
    weather and other natural disasters?
        Ms. Fenton. Absolutely. We attempt to address risk
    mitigation through a number of processes. One is putting
    together essentially a priority list, where are the communities
    most impacted. That is called the statewide Threat Assessment,
    and that is a partnership through the Corps of Engineers, the
    University of Alaska Fairbanks, and other organizations to
    characterize the risk of flooding, permafrost thaw, and
    erosion, and where are the areas we need to look at first.
        Then we pair that assessment with a technical assistance
    arm, the Center for Environmentally Threaten Communities, that
    proactively reaches out to these communities, works with them
    to determine what challenges they are experiencing, and how to
    create a project to address that concern, whether it is
    protection in place or a managed retreat away from the threat
    or a full relocation in very few circumstances.
        Then we partner with our other colleagues, Federal, State
    and tribal, to look at what other types of projects we can do
    to help protect our communities and protect the public
    investment into this infrastructure.
        Senator Carper. Thanks very much.
        Let's turn to Ms. Clyburn Reed. The southeast region, like
    most regions of our Country, is also vulnerable to extreme
    weather, including nor'easters, including hurricanes. Same
    question. Would you tell us how your commission helps
    communities of all sizes recover from the impacts of extreme
    weather and other natural disasters?
        Ms. Clyburn Reed. Thank you very much for the question.
        Every State in the Southeast Crescent Region is along the
    Atlantic coast. That is unique to us. We are focusing on
    finding sustainable economic opportunities, reducing poverty,
    fortifying the infrastructure that will eliminate
    vulnerabilities to natural disasters.
        We have not yet received any grants to do those things.
    However, through our outreach efforts, that is what we are
    going to encourage along the coastlines, those communities and
    counties along the coast, to do.
        We have not had the opportunity to do that just yet, but we
    are definitely looking to do that, and it is in our strategic
    plan to do so.
        Senator Carper. All right, thanks so much.
        We are joined by the only other retired Navy captain
    serving in the U.S. Senate. Thank you for stopping by, and
    thanks for being such a faithful member of this committee. I
    understand Senator Kelly does not have a question he wants to
    ask at this time, but thank you for making the time to join us
    today.
        Mr. Sanchez, the Southwest Border Regional Commission is, I
    think, the newest commission represented here today. Is that
    correct?
        Mr. Sanchez. That is correct, Senator.
        Senator Carper. We know that you are currently working to
    establish all the processes, all the procedures necessary to
    make grant awards. When do you expect to complete that process
    and what challenges did you face or have you faced, you and
    your team, in developing these policies?
        The second half of the question is, are there changes that
    Congress should consider to the grant-making process for
    regional commissions that would make this process more user-
    friendly or more accessible to outside stakeholders?
        Mr. Sanchez. Thank you for the question, Senator. We have
    been developing the processes throughout this journey since
    2003. We have reached agreement on funding allocations, how we
    administer our grant program, how much State administrative
    fund each State has to provide. Those States have provided
    funding for the commission.
        We are finalizing our 5-year plan and will publish it in
    November.
        Senator Carper. How long have you been working on it?
        Mr. Sanchez. Since we started, since June 2023. Each State
    is tasked with creating their own plan. The commission as well
    unifies those plans and conducts public outreach to ensure that
    we are aligned with the communities' needs.
        Senator Carper. OK, thank you.
        Mr. Sanchez. Moving forward, we will open up our webinar in
    December for our first grant competition, and we anticipate
    having the competition in the first quarter of 2025. Through
    this process, I think some of the challenges have been, since
    the commission is new, we have to get registered into every
    Federal system, whether that be grants.gov, SAM.gov, the
    Treasury Department. Those systems often do not recognize the
    commission because they do not have the--it takes a
    conversation with those agencies to ensure them that we are a
    Federal agency, that we are authorized to do this work.
        In terms of grants, I think just facilitating the reporting
    requirement for grantees. We have tried to do that as we
    created our grant program. We have a simplified application. We
    have a three-page pre-application where we screen applicants to
    ensure that they qualify and meet the basic requirements, so
    that we do not have folks filling out 20 pages and then being
    denied. We are trying to be very straightforward with our
    applicants.
        Senator Carper. Thank you.
        I have a question, I think maybe for the entire panel. I
    would like to hear from each of you on this. Each of you were
    once newly confirmed Federal co-chairs, and apparently you
    probably learned a lot through your experiences in running a
    commission.
        What is maybe one thing that you know now in that regard
    that you wish you had known on day one when you started? What
    is the one thing that you know now that you wish you had known
    on day one when you started? Mr. Wiggins?
        Mr. Wiggins. I think one of the things coming into the door
    at Delta Regional Authority, 25 years will be our anniversary
    next year, coming into the door, we have had to do a lot of
    internal modernization work within the agency. That was one of
    the things I would point out in terms of learning and knowing.
        The reason or rationale for doing this work remains the
    same. Our purpose is to serve the people in our region, and to
    make it easier for people to get the resources they need to
    have thriving communities. While I have learned that process
    and modernization in a government sense, the purpose and our
    mission remains the same regardless of the work you have to do
    internally. We have to deliver externally for the communities
    in which we are serving.
        Senator Carper. OK, thank you. Ms. Clyburn Reed?
        Ms. Clyburn Reed. Being so new to the beginning, this is a
    very difficult question. There are about seven things going
    through my head.
        Senator Carper. Pick the top six.
        [Laughter.]
        Ms. Clyburn Reed. What I have learned in traveling the
    region and learning and doing the research about the region is
    the decades of despair that I have seen. Prioritizing the wants
    and needs throughout the region is difficult with 51 million
    people, not wanting to let anyone down or tell anyone no,
    particularly the lady who has to hold her parasol over the
    stove in order to cook dinner.
        As you were asking the question, I thought back to her and
    the conversation that I had with her. The flexibility that we
    are given does allow for some moneys to get out earlier than if
    they were to apply somewhere else. However, there is still some
    paperwork that is quite treacherous to get through in order to
    get the money.
        That is what I wish I would have known from the beginning,
    is how long it would take to meet the needs of those people who
    are desperately in need of help.
        Senator Carper. Mr. Saunders?
        Mr. Saunders. I would echo some of those sentiments. I
    think we are all appointed to these positions and have a
    limited amount of time to serve. There is an eagerness to move
    very quickly, but a need to balance that with the speed that
    government should take to make sure that it can adequately
    account for all the needs of all the communities you are trying
    to serve.
        We have really great models with peer commissions like the
    Appalachian Regional Commission that have been doing this work
    for decades, and many of us I think have a hope that we can
    embody the best components of that commission.
        The three of us in the middle here have been authorized for
    15 years and are at varying degrees of maturity. To try and
    activate at a level that ARC is while still being a newer
    commission requires a balance of desire to move with speed, but
    also at a pace where everybody can participate.
        Senator Carper. Thank you. Mr. Sanchez?
        Mr. Sanchez. I would agree with my colleagues. I think what
    I wish I knew was the timeline it takes to implement some of
    these programs, and even to purchase a grant management
    software system that is FedRAMPed and cybersecurity compliant
    and will meet the needs of your customers and will be easy to
    use, and will be under budget.
        The process of acquiring those things takes time, more time
    than I anticipated it would. Then trying not to pass on that
    bureaucracy to our applicants, trying to somehow simplify our
    application process I think are the challenges that I wish I
    knew about a bit earlier.
        Senator Carper. OK, thank you. Ms. Fenton?
        Ms. Fenton. I think the commission as a whole, and myself,
    we understand the challenges. We know the difficult logistics.
    We know the long timeframes and schedules, the needs for
    partnerships and relationships.
        I guess the part that has been educational for me, and I
    look forward to supporting our next Federal co-chair that comes
    on board with some of the understanding of the coordination and
    importance of success stories here in D.C., and the EOP-OMB
    approval process and some of that official process that we are
    not as familiar with on the east coast, at least myself. We
    know our colleagues in Alaska, it is really some of that
    outside coordination that can be mitigated, I suppose, a little
    easier next time.
        Senator Carper. OK, good, thank you all for responding to
    that.
        Earlier today, I was privileged to speak over breakfast
    with a number of my colleagues. Every week or two, usually on a
    Wednesday morning in the Capitol, there is a breakfast hosted
    by the Senate Chaplain. It is a chance for members to share
    just a bit about themselves and in some cases what their values
    are, where they learned them and how do they use those values
    to guide their service to our Country.
        I talked today about my own parents, they were big
    believers in the Golden Rule, treat other people the way you
    want to be treated. My dad was a big environmentalist, a big
    hunter and fisher, and my mom was usually interested in
    protecting this planet, God's gift to all of us. A bunch of my
    uncles and dad all served in World War II and Korea. One of my
    uncles was killed in a kamikaze attack on his aircraft carrier.
        My sister and I were basically instilled at a very early
    age with the requirement to serve, the expectation to serve our
    Country, which in some ways led me to come here. Those are a
    few things I shared with my colleagues this morning over
    breakfast, which I was pleased to do and I think they fell on
    fertile soil. We will see.
        I have a question for you, Ms. Clyburn Reed. It is not
    every day that one of our witnesses actually brings along a mom
    or dad out in the audience to listen in, to tune into the
    hearing. I have known your dad for a long time. I served with
    him in the House. He will not admit it, but it is true. Maybe
    you can mention for us a lesson or two from your parents that
    actually helps guide you in the work you do on the commission.
        Ms. Clyburn Reed. Thank you for that question. I am honored
    to have the support of the Congressman, father-Congressman,
    here today and every day. I am also honored to have had a
    mother who supported everything that we did, whether she agreed
    with it or not. Tomorrow morning at 9:01 a.m. will be the fifth
    anniversary of her death. I will be having coffee with her.
        The advice that both of them have instilled in me, I think
    you spoke about it already, is to do unto others as you would
    have them do unto you. As I travel the 210,000-square miles of
    SCRC, that is exactly what is in my head: how would I want
    someone to treat me if I were in that situation? That is how I
    approach the tenacity in which I try to get money out of the
    door. It is difficult to do with the pace that we are held to.
        That is what is in my mind. We should not be still
    suffering from the 2015 historic flood. I am seeing that as I
    travel. That is what is in my heart, what is in my mind, what
    is in my soul. That is the way I approach this job. I thank you
    for it.
        Senator Carper. Well, your mom is looking down and I am
    sure she is saying, that is my girl. That is great.
        My mom once told my sister and me, she said, the Golden
    Rule, treat other people the way you want to be treated, is in
    every major religion in the world, whether you are Protestant,
    Catholic, Jew, Buddhist, Hindu, it is in every one. It is
    something that is in every sacred scripture, maybe something we
    should pay attention to. I am pleased to hear that you reminded
    us of that today.
        In closing, I want to thank our witnesses for your time. We
    want to thank you for your testimony today and for the
    leadership that you provide. The work of our regional
    commissions is so important for helping disadvantaged
    communities throughout our Nation, as you have reminded us
    today.
        This hearing has motivated me, and I think it has motivated
    members of our staff, and Senator Capito and others, to keep
    working to reauthorize regional commissions and the Economic
    Development Administration.
        For some final housekeeping, Senators will be allowed to
    submit questions for the record through the close of business
    on October 2d. We are going to compile those questions. We are
    going to send them out to each of our witnesses. We are going
    to ask you to reply to us by October 16th.
        Anything else, folks? All right.
        With that, this has been a good hearing. This hearing is
    adjourned. Thank you so much. God bless.
        [Whereupon, at 11:34 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]

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