O'Halleran Introduces House Companion Rural Prosperity Act Legislation

Statement

Today, Congressman Tom O'Halleran (AZ-01), with Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Cindy Axne (D-IA-03), Adrian Smith (R-NE-03), and Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04), introduced The Rural Prosperity Act, bipartisan legislation that would cut bureaucratic red tape by establishing the Office of Rural Prosperity, a permanent office in the White House tasked with coordinating federal efforts to support and connect America's rural communities to federal programs and resources in order to improve outcomes for rural families and economies.

Senate companion legislation was introduced by Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

"Time and time again, we've seen the federal government overlook and undervalue rural America. Many communities in the First District had not fully recovered from the Great Recession when the COVID-19 pandemic hit," said Rep. O'Halleran, who represents one of the largest and most rural congressional districts in America. "From Safford near the southern edge of our district, stretching all the way up to Page at our northern border, we've seen continued disinvestment by the federal government in areas where honest Arizonans are working hard to grow their communities and support their children. I'm proud to join Senator Kelly and my colleagues in the House to introduce this legislation that establishes a permanent office at the White House dedicated to supporting rural communities."

Currently, there are more than 400 federal programs dedicated to helping rural communities, spread across 13 departments, and over 50 offices and sub-agencies which can create siloed, duplicative, and ineffective bureaucracy. The bipartisan Rural Prosperity Act would ensure better coordination across federal agencies by:

Establishing the Office of Rural Prosperity within the White House to coordinate rural economic development programs across government. The office would be led by a Chief Rural Advisor, who will be appointed by the President and be responsible for coordinating all federal rural development efforts.
Forming a Rural Prosperity Council which consists of members of all of the heads of executive branch departments, agencies, and offices that have programs that serve rural areas. The Council would serve as a forum to resolve interagency disputes and coordinate a whole-of-government effort to address the needs of rural communities across the country.
Developing a comprehensive strategy for rural economic development across the Executive Branch.
Engaging with stakeholders, including convening public hearings, to identify common challenges faced by rural areas.
Making recommendations on how to coordinate, streamline, and leverage existing Federal investments to address challenges faced by rural areas.
Developing a common set of metrics to ensure that all rural development programs are meeting a common set of evidence-backed standards.
"Rural communities face different challenges and opportunities when it comes to economic development, but too often face a web of red tape and bureaucracy when it comes to federal programs. Our bipartisan legislation creates a one-stop-shop for Arizona's rural communities to get the support to create good-paying jobs, get students the skills they need, and invest in their communities," said Senator Kelly.

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