WASHINGTON, March 13, 2007—U.S. Congressman Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania is the recipient of the 2007 Congressional Award from the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) for his advocacy on behalf of the 23 million people of the Appalachian Region.

The federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), Anne B. Pope, introduced Shuster at the DDAA awards ceremony in Arlington, Virginia, where he was honored on March 12.

“Only 61 House members—out of 435—represent the Appalachian Region,” Pope said. “That means we have to rely on a relatively small group of House members to do the heavy lifting that keeps ARC alive, functioning, and adequately funded. We call them our ‘lions.’ Representative Bill Shuster is definitely an 'ARC lion,' with a loud roar.”

In the 109th Congress, Shuster chaired the House subcommittee that has jurisdiction over ARC. He also convened a field hearing in Somerset, Pennsylvania, in September 2006 to examine the role that ARC has played in the Ninth Congressional District.

"Economic development has always been an important goal for me in my time in Congress," Shuster said on receiving the award. "My job is to make sure that limited federal dollars are wisely spent in the areas where they are most needed. Appalachia is one of those areas, and with ARC's assistance my job has been made much easier. Over the course of its 42-year history, ARC has improved the lives of countless Americans throughout Appalachia. I was honored to have been recognized for my own contributions to rural and economic development in Appalachia, and I look forward to working with Anne Pope and ARC in the years ahead."

The Congressional Award is presented each year by the DDAA to a member of Congress for outstanding service to the people of Appalachia and support of the work of the local development districts and ARC. Local development districts nominate potential recipients, and the DDAA board makes the final selection.

The DDAA is a public, nonprofit organization made up of Appalachia's 72 multicounty planning and development districts. Its members work closely with ARC, other federal and state agencies, and local residents to identify and address economic development needs and opportunities in their communities.