Rep. Kirkpatrick Asks Biden What Resources Are Available for Rural Communities

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12 November 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the nine months since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law, rural communities across the country have found the federal bureaucracy is a serious obstacle to their receiving funding. Representative Ann Kirkpatrick is fighting to address this challenge and ensure the Recovery Act works as effectively as possible for our small towns. She is leading a national group of Members of Congress in sending a letter to Vice-President Joe Biden today, asking him to explain what is being done to assist rural America.

Rural communities have more limited resources than urban and suburban areas in the best of times, and rely on smaller staffs taking on a wide range of responsibilities. Most of these communities are still extremely well-run and have managed their budgets responsibly despite the downturn. However, they face a major hurdle in dealing with the convoluted rules and regulations involved in applying for federal funding, as they often have less specialized experience and less outside assistance available.

Rep. Kirkpatrick has identified this as an issue with the Recovery Act. In a survey of Greater Arizona communities receiving Recovery Act funds, she found that more than 40 percent of projects are encountering delays despite the hard work of local officials trying to move them forward. Leading complaints include funding not arriving or being made available, environmental and engineering regulations slowing the bid process and approvals for projects not being granted. These challenges are not unique to District One, and the Congresswoman is working to ensure rural communities have the tools to create much-need jobs.

“The Recovery Act should be a real boost for rural America, getting folks back to work now and building up the critical infrastructure we need for the long term. We cannot let a one-size-fits-all bureaucracy stand in the way of putting teachers back in the classroom, police on the streets and broadband internet in our homes,” said Rep. Kirkpatrick. “Anyone sincerely committed to ending the downturn should be fighting to remove the barriers for our rural communities.”

“A real economic recovery cannot leave out rural America,” said Rep. Kirkpatrick.

It is critical that our small towns be able to utilize whatever resources they can in applying for Recovery Act contracts, grants and loans in the coming months. Up to this point, most of the funds made available have been distributed based on formulas. The focus is now shifting to competitive grants, meaning that rural communities struggling to cut through the red tape will be at risk of being shut out of significant amounts of funding, and their innovative plans for getting our economy moving will go unused.

The Recovery Act has had some benefits for rural communities, with Recovery.Gov reporting more than 900 jobs created or saved in Greater Arizona. However, it is clear from the data gathered by the Congresswoman that districts like hers are already not fully realizing the potential of the program. She is calling on the White House to outline what has been done to make sure our communities can succeed in their efforts.

“We are seeing warning signs that rural areas could miss out on the full benefits of the Recovery Act,” said Rep. Kirkpatrick. “The Administration has a responsibility to make sure our communities can compete on a level playing field. This is the time to show that they will live up to their responsibility.”

“We must make sure the government is empowering the American people to get the economy back on track, because the American people are the key to our recovery,” she said.

Rep. Kirkpatrick and representatives from across the country are requesting information on what resources are currently available to rural communities to help them cut through the red tape, and they will be sharing their responses with small towns in their districts. Rural Members of Congress who signed on to the letter include Reps. Debbie Halvorson, Larry Kissell, Ben Ray Luján, Betsy Markey, Eric Massa, Tom Perriello, Chellie Pingree and Harry Teague.

The Congresswoman will be releasing a full report on her survey of Recovery Act projects in the district next week. A copy of the letter sent to Vice-President Biden is included.

November 9, 2009

The Honorable Joseph Biden

Vice-President

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Vice-President Biden:

We write to request information about funding authorized by the American Recovery Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and rural communities. As you know, small and rural areas face unique challenges in these tough economic times. Thankfully, many of these communities are well-run and manage their finances responsibly both in good times and in bad times. However, this economic downtown spared no one—even the best prepared are feeling the pinch. The ARRA funds are critical to stabilizing the economy and building infrastructure where it is needed.

We represent some of the most rural districts in the Nation, and many communities have reported difficulty accessing ARRA funding. A common theme among small communities is that the bureaucratic challenges and hurdles to accessing the funds leaves them at a disadvantage where larger jurisdictions have larger staff, more specialized experience, and other resources to successfully find and apply for ARRA funding. We are particularly concerned that as the focus shifts from allocations based on formula to competitive grants these small communities will be at an even greater disadvantage.

On behalf of those communities, we write to inquire about assistance currently available to them. What resources are available to provide technical assistance? What is the best way for potential applicants to find grant opportunities? Is assistance available in a central location, or does each agency provide different resources? Does your office have a point person to coordinate rural assistance or funding?

Thank you in advance for guidance and information we can share with small towns in our districts.

Sincerely,

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick

Rep. Larry Kissell

Rep. Tom Perriello

Rep. Betsy Markey

Rep. Debbie Halvorson

Rep. Chellie Pingree

Rep. Eric Massa

Rep. Ben Ray Lujan

Rep. Harry Teague

Source: Representative Ann Kirkpatrick