[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7073]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           NORTHEAST REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

  (Mr. MICHAUD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, this week a tripartisan group of original 
cosponsors has joined together to reintroduce our bill to create a 
Northeast Regional Economic Development Commission to invest in the 
most distressed areas of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York.
  Economic development commissions are now in existence in Alaska; 
Mississippi; the Midwest; and, of course, Appalachia; among other 
places. These bodies have a proven track record of success. For 
example, since its creation, the ARC has cut the number of distressed 
counties in their region in half.
  Today, when one looks at the statistics, the border region of the 
Northeast has just as strong a need as the other areas. We need direct 
Federal investments to turn our economies around. Our bill does that 
and ensures both local planning and the advancement of regional goals 
like sustainable land use.
  We are proud to have such a strong tripartisan group working together 
to promote economic development in the Northeast. We look forward to 
advancing our bill and working with other regions who want to grow 
their economies and bring prosperity back.

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