[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 82 (Wednesday, June 13, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H3123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SOLVING PROBLEMS OF RURAL AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mrs. CLAYTON. Madam Speaker, in 1908, President Roosevelt charged the 
Country Life Commission with the task of solving the rural problem. He 
identified this problem as the fact that the social and economic 
institutions of this country are not keeping pace with the Nation as a 
whole almost 100 years ago, and that would just as easily describe our 
situation in America today.
  Many people are aware that there is a farm crisis plaguing rural 
America. However, fewer people are aware that this crisis does not stop 
at the farm but extends to the whole of rural America. Crumbling 
infrastructure, lack of educational and employment opportunities, 
outmigration of youth, inadequate health care facilities, and a growing 
digital divide are just a few of the struggles that our rural 
communities must overcome. We must take steps to close that gap and to 
recognize the vital contributions of rural communities to American 
economic, cultural, and civic life.
  Just over a year ago, I joined with my friend and colleague, the 
gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Emerson), in resurrecting the 
Congressional Rural Caucus. The Rural Caucus is grounded in the belief 
that the needs of rural America are diverse and unique. We stand united 
in the belief that it is past time for Congress to stand up for rural 
America. We must do all we can to ensure that our rural communities are 
not just to survive, but they may thrive as well. Only when we tailor 
policies which address the unique needs of rural America will we see 
that day.
  The 107th Congress will provide numerous opportunities to speak up 
for rural America, but I would like to mention two in particular.
  The first is the upcoming farm bill. This Congress will be updating 
our farm policy for the first time since 1996. We must seize this 
opportunity not just to rethink our commodity policies, but to pause 
and to reflect upon the needs of all rural citizens. An important 
component of the farm bill certainly is our commodity policy, but the 
needs of rural America go far beyond commodities. The question that we 
must ask with the farm bill is not how do we fix our commodity 
programs, although this is clearly an important question and requires 
our attention. Rather, we must ask ourselves: What is our social 
contract with rural America; and what actions do we need to take to 
reinforce that contract?
  Our obligation and debt to our rural communities is greater than 
ever. We must fulfill that debt by pledging to work harder than ever to 
assist rural America.
  I am not alone in this belief. On May 23, I joined 120 of my 
colleagues in sending a letter to the leadership of the House Committee 
on Agriculture urging them to make rural development an integral part 
of the upcoming farm bill.
  However, the farm bill is just the beginning. The second opportunity 
lies in strengthening our partnership with the White House. The Rural 
Caucus is committed to moving forward with the White House as full 
partners. Together we can make great steps in strengthening our rural 
communities, but the White House must do their part.
  We have programs that assist rural America, but they are scattered 
throughout departments and agencies with little coordination between 
them. We must recognize that decades of incremental and piecemeal 
efforts have resulted in policy which no longer address the realities 
of life in these rural communities.
  Before stepping forward with a comprehensive new blueprint for rural 
America, we must step back to survey the landscape of rural America and 
our patchwork set of policies that are directed towards it. It is time 
to follow the lead of other industrialized countries in the world in 
crafting an integrated and comprehensive rural policy. They have done 
it. We can do it as well.
  The time has come to address the entire rich fabric of our farming 
and rural communities across the country and not just the single 
threads that bind it together. At stake is not just the continued 
existence of our rural communities. At stake is the very soul of this 
great country. If rural America dwindles away, all of America is 
deprived of a great asset. If rural communities turn to ghost towns, 
the spectre will haunt us all.
  Madam Speaker, I urge Congress to support our rural communities.

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