[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 137 (Thursday, October 17, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1895]]
                     RURAL DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2002

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BILL SHUSTER

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 16, 2002

  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, our rural communities are at the very heart 
of our Nation and are an essential aspect of our economy. It is our 
small towns that define the values and identity of America. We, 
however, are at risk of losing our small towns. A struggling economy 
has caused many of our youth to flee from our rural communities. After 
all, one must go where the jobs are. We must reach out to rural 
communities to help once again stimulate the economy and ensure that 
our rural towns have first class schools and access to quality medical 
care. It is in this spirit that I have introduced the Rural Development 
Act of 2002. This legislation offers help to rural America and ensures 
that our Nation's heartland continues to experience vitality and 
growth.
  The Rural Development Act has three key components. First, this 
legislation offers tax incentives to businesses who move into rural 
areas in an effort to stimulate the economy and provide much needed 
jobs. Second, the bill focuses on improving the education of students 
in rural America by directing funds to schools to upgrade technology 
and provide students with the tools they need to succeed in the 21st 
century. Finally, we work to improve rural healthcare by offering 
education incentives to doctors and nurses who agree to serve in those 
areas.
  Our businesses and industries carry huge tax burdens and are bogged 
down by endless bureaucratic red tape, all of which stifles job growth. 
This bill works to offer some relief to companies by offering a tax 
credit of 50 percent, over a ten year period, to companies who move 
into rural areas and either occupy an existing facility or construct a 
new facility. This incentive will again draw businesses into rural 
America and bring much needed-jobs along with them. This not only 
benefits business by giving them a tax break, but also will provide 
them with a more cost efficient area in which to expand and grow.
  My legislation also recognizes the need for a well-trained and well-
educated workforce. To this end the bill authorizes funds to provide 
rural schools with the tools necessary to ensure that all of our 
students receive a high quality education. My legislation calls on the 
Department of Education to offer grants to rural schools to enhance 
technology and teacher preparation programs as well as creating 
innovative enrichment programs for children at risk of failure with a 
particular emphasis on math, science, history and English. Rural 
schools face many unique challenges and often are forced to forgo 
federal funds because they do not have the financial resources or 
poverty data needed to qualify. This legislation recognizes those 
challenges and sets funds aside specifically for rural areas and help 
them continue to offer quality education to our Nation's youth.
  Finally, my bill focuses on enhancing rural healthcare. Rural 
residents have been especially hard hit by the nursing shortage that is 
plaguing America. Nearly one quarter of our nation's population lives 
in rural areas, yet almost all of the hospitals and healthcare 
facilities located in these communities are, to no fault of their own, 
chronically understaffed. To help combat this problem my bill offers 
education incentives to nurses and doctors to serve in rural areas. The 
legislation directs the Secretary of Education to create a scholarship 
program to pay 50 percent of the tuition of students who agree to serve 
in rural areas for a period of no less than four years. This is a win-
win initiative for both students interested in the medical field and 
rural communities. It allows students who could not otherwise afford 
the tuition to attend nursing or medical schools and provides much 
needed doctors and nurses to rural America! Since these students will 
not be burdened with huge student loans at graduation they will not be 
forced to leave for better paying urban hospitals.
  Mr. Speaker, our rural communities define who we are. They are our 
Nation's heartland and throughout most of history these communities 
have been blessed with vitality and growth. In recent years, however, 
these communities have seen the flight of many of their youth due to a 
lack of jobs. If this flight continues, Mr. Speaker, we run the risk of 
finding our small towns vacant. My legislation works to change this 
trend.
  Good paying jobs are the cornerstone of any economy and by providing 
rural America with these jobs we will help ensure that our rural 
economies continue to thrive. With jobs, however, comes the need for a 
well-trained and well-educated workforce. My legislation answers this 
challenge by giving rural schools the funds they need to provide all of 
our students with the tools needed to succeed. Completing the circle, 
this legislation ensures that citizens of rural communities have access 
to first rate medical care they deserve as they move into their golden 
years. With good jobs, an education system that is second to none and 
access to high quality health care we can ensure our rural communities 
continue to flourish for years to come.

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