TOP 5 » RURAL/AGRICULTURE
Farm Bill Reauthorization Looms in 2018
by Leslie Haymon Every five years, Congress takes a comprehensive look at America’s rural economy. Although colloquially known as the farm bill, this legislation is a broad and deep policy document addressing the fundamental needs of America’s rural and agricultural economies. Congress will undertake this process again in 2018. The farm bill has steadily grown in scope over the recent decades and now includes titles running the gamut of agricultural and rural development issues, from domestic and international food aid to farm commodity support and agricultural conservation programs. However, falling prices and large harvests have been undercutting
JAN/FEB 2018 | CAPITOL IDEAS
Rural Broadband Access
24
The need to improve and expand the rural internet infrastructure is a rare point of bipartisan consensus in Congress. Senate Democrats rolled out their targeted rural agenda in September 2017, with expanded rural broadband as a cornerstone. Pointing to rural electrification as a model, their proposal encourages inclusion of broadband in any large infrastructure package, as well as continued support for the Federal Communication Commission’s universal service fund, which provides subsidies to expand telecommunications services. The farm bill may include additional or expanded grants and loans for providers to expand broadband access into rural or underserved areas.