On April 11th, the White House announced its “Rural Infrastructure Tour” initiative, dispatching members of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet across rural America to promote infrastructure funding and other support for rural and underserved communities. As part of the tour, Vice President Kamala Harris, has been traveling to rural towns across the country for weeks to build political support for President Biden’s agenda ahead of the November midterms. On Wednesday, April 20th, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and White House Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice announced the USDA-led Rural Partners Network (RPN). The RPN is “a new whole-of-government effort led by USDA to transform the way federal agencies partner with rural places to create economic opportunity in rural America. The program will help rural communities access government resources and funding to create jobs, build infrastructure and support long-term economic stability.” The Network will launch in selected communities in Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Mexico as well as certain Tribes within Arizona. Community networks within these states will receive individualized support with the expertise to navigate federal programs, build relationships and identify additional resources to promote community-driven solutions.
