White House announces ‘Made in Rural America’ initiative
February 07, 2014 | 10:05 AM
EAST LANSING, Mich. — In advance of President Barack Obama’s trip here today to sign the 2014 farm bill, the president “directed his administration, working through the White House Rural Council, to lead a new ‘Made in Rural America’ export and investment initiative,” over the next nine months, the White House announced today.
The timing would appear to complete the project before the November midterm congressional elections.
Obama has instructed the Rural Council, a Cabinet-level group initiated by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, to coordinate efforts by the Agriculture and Commerce departments, the Small Business Administration, the Export-Import Bank, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and other agencies “to connect more rural businesses of all types to export information and assistance” the White House said in a fact sheet released by the office of his press secretary.
The administration has committed itself to hosting five “Made in Rural America” regional trade forums in coordination with partners such as the National Association of Counties, the Delta Regional Authority and the Appalachian Regional Commission. The administration will also convene an “Investing in Rural America” conference that will promote investment opportunities by highlighting successful projects in energy; biofuels and bioproducts; infrastructure, from transportation to water systems to telecommunications; healthcare; manufacturing; and local and regional food systems.
The fact sheet includes other commitments to increase the flow of information on trade in rural America.
The timing would appear to complete the project before the November midterm congressional elections.
Obama has instructed the Rural Council, a Cabinet-level group initiated by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, to coordinate efforts by the Agriculture and Commerce departments, the Small Business Administration, the Export-Import Bank, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and other agencies “to connect more rural businesses of all types to export information and assistance” the White House said in a fact sheet released by the office of his press secretary.
The administration has committed itself to hosting five “Made in Rural America” regional trade forums in coordination with partners such as the National Association of Counties, the Delta Regional Authority and the Appalachian Regional Commission. The administration will also convene an “Investing in Rural America” conference that will promote investment opportunities by highlighting successful projects in energy; biofuels and bioproducts; infrastructure, from transportation to water systems to telecommunications; healthcare; manufacturing; and local and regional food systems.
The fact sheet includes other commitments to increase the flow of information on trade in rural America.
