Rebuilding Rural America for Our Future

Rural America deserves a partner in the White House. Here’s my plan to put rural Americans back in the driver’s seat:

• Invest $60 billion to connect all rural Americans to high-speed Internet, including next-generation gigabit systems, by working with private providers, states, rural electric cooperatives, broadband cooperatives, and community broadband networks. The investment would be directed by detailed, accurate broadband service maps that reflect actual service availability.
• Create a Digital Extension Service to advise and assist farmers, rural entrepreneurs, and community leaders in adopting digital technologies for precision agriculture, e-commerce, telemedicine, high-tech manufacturing, and opportunities for attracting remote workers as new residents. 
  • The Digital Extension Service would work with 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) to inspire and mentor young people across rural America in the application of STEM education.
• Create a $750 million Rural Tech Skills initiative to fund training partnerships between community colleges, community-based and labor organizations, and employers to prepare the rural workforce for tech jobs across industries like clean energy, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, and health IT.
• Create a White House Council on a Cooperative Economy to ensure all federal loan, contracting, and technical assistance programs are accessible by cooperatives 
  • Increase funding for the Rural Cooperative Development Program to $40 million per year.