[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 41 (Friday, April 15, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 15, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                LOWER MISSISSIPPI DELTA INITIATIVES ACT

                                 ______


                        HON. BLANCHE M. LAMBERT

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 14, 1994

  Ms. LAMBERT. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to introduce a bill to 
help revitalize the Mississippi Delta region through economic 
development, expanded tourism and educational opportunities.
  As our Nation has moved from an economy based on agriculture to a 
more industrial base, we have watched the delta slip behind. Employment 
opportunities have plummeted and educational reputations have sagged. 
But we have everything we need to attract new industries and jobs right 
there in the Delta. Simply put, this bill will help us to organize our 
most valuable resources--people.
  As chairman of the Delta Caucus, I am honored to offer this bill as 
the beginning of my commitment to transform the Delta Initiatives into 
public policy. This bill will set up partnerships between universities 
and private businesses. It will help us pool our resources, share ideas 
and expand economic growth in a seven-State region along the 
Mississippi River. The Lower Mississippi Delta Initiatives Act will 
cover all of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and parts of Tennessee, 
Illinois, Kentucky, and Missouri.
  Many of the ideas contained in this bill have been implemented with 
success in our States. Business incubators, which this bill encourages, 
have produced amazing results. By offering fledgling businesses office 
space and technical assistance, incubators have helped 80 percent of 
the businesses they've worked with succeed. In contrast, 80 percent of 
the small businesses that have started out on their own have failed. 
Ideas in this bill are results-oriented, with the bottom line being 
economic development.
  The Delta Initiatives Act establishes a Federal effort led by the 
Departments of Interior and Energy to, among other things:
  Stimulate economic development through an operating grant to the 
Lower Mississippi Delta Development Center located in Memphis, TN.;
  Boost growth in energy services, manufacturing and exports through a 
newly created Delta technology and business development center;
  Establish educational initiatives and scholarships in the area of 
aquaculture, natural resources, the environment, the sciences, cultural 
resource management, historic preservation, and archeology;
  Preserve the heritage of the delta region and promote cultural 
tourism through designating historically significant roads and 
waterways within the region; and
  Provide energy efficient improvements to schools, hospitals and low-
income dwellings within the delta region.

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