Today, White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack are traveling to Tarboro, North Carolina to launch the Investing in Rural America Regional Event Series to highlight investments from the Biden-Harris Administration in rural America. The Regional Event Series will continue throughout this year, building on the Administration's Investing in Rural America Event Series in late 2023, and kicks off as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's fourth Investing in America tour this month, where Cabinet and Administration officials are fanning out across the country highlighting the impact of the President's agenda.
During today's visit, White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden and Secretary Vilsack will visit Edgecombe Community College and announce over $770 million in new investments that will benefit more than 1 million people living in rural communities. This investment will support 216 projects in 45 states, Puerto Rico, and the Northern Mariana Islands to bring high-speed internet; clean, safe water; other critical infrastructure; and economic growth to rural communities as part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda. This investment includes:
- $51.7 million to expand access to high-speed internet for people in rural areas through the Reconnect Program and the Broadband Technical Assistance Program. USDA will begin accepting applications on March 22, 2024 for its fifth round of funding for the ReConnect Program to connect millions of people in rural America to affordable high-speed internet.
- $644.2 million to help 158 rural cooperatives and utilities provide clean drinking water and sanitary wastewater systems for 578,000 people in rural areas.
- $76.6 million for projects in underserved communities participating in the Rural Partners Network, which is transforming the way the federal government partners with rural communities by putting federal employees on the ground to help rural communities access federal resources. This investment will support 32 projects that expand access to jobs, business opportunities, quality health care, clean water and renewable energy. Tarboro, NC is part of the Rural Partners Network.
As a part of the Regional Event Series, Senior Administration Officials will travel to rural communities across the country throughout this year to highlight how the President's Investing in America agenda is ensuring rural Americans do not have to leave their hometowns to find opportunity. Next month, White House Senior Advisor and Director of the Office of Public Engagement Steve Benjamin will travel to New Mexico to participate in a Rural Partners Network Forum and highlight how the President in investing in rural America.
