Issues
RURAL AMERICA:
Today, Americans in rural communities face special challenges in finding good
jobs at good wages, providing their children with quality education, finding
high-quality affordable health care and meeting transportation and communications
needs.
Throughout my career in public service, I have worked to give rural Americans
the chance to build a better life for themselves and their children.
I have worked to give family farmers a fair shot in competing with large
corporations. I proposed and helped pass a plan making low-interest
loans
available to many rural small businesses hit by droughts, and I helped
pass important reforms in crop and flood insurance to strengthen
federal disaster assistance for rural communities.
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I always stand up for the voice and values of rural America. I support improved
conservation efforts, truth in labeling practices, increasing access to
advanced technology, and encouraging federal investment in renewable energy
sources and technologies that will spur job growth and create the "cash crops" of tomorrow.
I believe we should unleash the productive potential of America's economy to
help create jobs in rural America and give our farmers the support they
need to compete and thrive in today's economy.
I understand that Americans in rural areas face special challenges in finding high-quality, affordable health care, and I have fought to make Washington responsive to their needs. Americans in rural areas should have access
to the same range of affordable, high-quality health care plans available
to members of Congress.
Rural Americans - like all Americans - deserve access to high-quality
public education. I believe a fully funded No Child Left Behind Act is
critical in addressing the real challenges rural schools face, such as
the inaccessibility of professional development programs for rural teachers
and the difficulty in recruiting teachers in rural areas. Education in
our communities should be strengthened across the country.
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