[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 42 (Thursday, March 12, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S1491]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                    APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION

 Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. President, this week marks the 50th 
anniversary of the signing of legislation to create the Appalachian 
Regional Commission, ARC.
  In the decade of the 1960s, intense poverty and economic struggle 
characterized the existence for many people and towns running down the 
spine of the Appalachian Mountains. At the time, more than 19 million 
Americans were living in the Appalachian region and struggling to 
achieve the American dream.
  The magnitude and vastness of the challenges in Appalachia, which 
spread across many States, led the region's Governors in 1960 to form 
the Conference of Appalachian Governors to develop a regional approach 
for resolving these complex issues.
  In 1961, they took their case to newly elected President John F. 
Kennedy, who had been deeply moved by the poverty he saw during 
campaign trips to West Virginia. Their efforts led to the creation of 
the Appalachian Regional Commission and a broad bipartisan coalition in 
Congress passed the Appalachian Regional Development Act, ARDA, early 
in 1965. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed it into law on March 9, 
1965. It is a unique agency to this day, made up of one Federal co-
chair and 13 Governors who serve as State co-chairs. It also receives 
local input on allocation of resources from the local development 
districts.
  Over the last 50 years, it has been able to inject Federal funds and 
leverage State and private resources to address the deep needs of this 
region. Much success has been achieved, but yet much remains to be 
done.
  Poverty has been cut in half in Appalachia from nearly 31 percent of 
the region's people in 1960 to about 16 percent today.
  In 1960, only 32 percent of the Appalachian population completed high 
school and 5 percent had a college degree. Since then, the number of 
college graduates had increased four-fold to 21 percent.
  One of the most critical challenges facing the Appalachian region in 
1964 was its relative isolation. With the aid of the Appalachian 
Regional Commission, nearly 2,700 miles of highway development routes 
have been built.
  Since 1965, ARC has financed nearly 25,000 separate strategic 
investments in non-highway activities in the region, which includes 
$3.8 billion in Federal funds. The positive result has been that nearly 
three times that amount, $9 billion has been forthcoming in matching 
funds from other Federal, State and local funding sources. Better yet, 
ARC-financed investments in Appalachia have also leveraged nearly $16 
billion in added private investment.
  I want to congratulate the Appalachian Regional Commission on its 
50th Anniversary. I look forward to working with and supporting the 
future efforts of ARC and the local development districts as they 
continue to work with the States, localities and the private sector to 
build the economy of the Appalachian region.

                          ____________________