The Rebuild Rural Infrastructure Coalition is comprised of more than 250 organizations from across the country focused on rural communities, U.S. agricultural producers, rural businesses, and rural families. The Rebuild Rural Coalition is dedicated to advocating for investment in rural America’s infrastructure and understands that rural America’s infrastructure needs are fundamentally different.
Past infrastructure initiatives often focused on urban and suburban areas while not adequately addressing the unique needs of rural communities. Rural communities have seen their infrastructure deteriorate, jeopardizing their jobs, their families’ health and wellbeing and their competitiveness in both agricultural and other industries important to rural America.
American agriculture truly feeds the world and creates millions of jobs for U.S. workers. Our nation’s ability to produce food and fiber and transport it efficiently across the globe is a critical factor in U.S. competitiveness internationally. Our deteriorating infrastructure threatens this leadership position and negatively impacts the ability of rural Americans to do their jobs.
Transportation infrastructure improvement to highways, bridges, railways, locks and dams, harbors and port facilities is the most obvious need in rural communities, but not the only need that must be addressed. In addition, critical needs exist in providing clean water for rural families, affordable housing options for rural residents, expanding broadband to connect rural communities to the outside world, updating Ag research facilities so the rural economy can stay competitive and enhancing the ability to supply affordable, reliable and secure power for the rural economy.
Federal investment in infrastructure plays a vital role in repairing and expanding our nation’s infrastructure, however federal funds cannot fully meet the vast diversity of needs. This is why public-private partnerships and other creative solutions are necessary to meet the challenges of rural America. In order for infrastructure funding to be utilized to the highest degree, we must ease burdensome regulations and outdated statutory requirements, as well as fund projects in a way that ensures completion in a timely manner.
The Rebuild Rural Infrastructure Coalition looks forward to begin addressing the nation’s infrastructure needs, and will stand as a resource for addressing the infrastructure needs of rural America.
