People don't understand rural America. Sixteen percent of our population is rural, but 40 percent of our military is rural. I don't believe that's because of a lack of opportunity in rural America. I believe that's because if you grow up in rural America, you know you can't just keep taking from the land. You've got to give something back.
USDA Rural Development is responsible for helping rural counties and small communities provide public services and foster economic growth. Often these investments help fill gaps that are hard to overcome with a rural tax base.
Rural communities and our nation's economy also stand to benefit from broadband expansion. Rural schools can expand the quantity and quality of educational programming. Rural communities can attract businesses and investment.
Sixteen percent of our population is rural, but 40 percent of our military is rural. I don't believe that's because of a lack of opportunity in rural America. I believe that's because if you grow up in rural America, you know you can't just keep taking from the land. You've got to give something back.
Bharat Nirman was a development programme aimed at stepping up public investment and public-private partnerships in the construction of rural roads, drinking water supply, rural telecommunication, rural housing, and minor irrigation.
I obviously disagree with the individuals who do not support rural America and do not support rural airports. Under their philosophy, maybe we shouldnt even be paving roads in rural America, because there are fewer people that drive on them.
Let us build a 21st-century rural economy of cutting-edge companies and technologies that lead us to energy and food security. Such an investment will revitalize rural America, re-establish our moral leadership on climate security and eliminate our addiction to foreign oil.
Every year, I volunteer with Remote Area Medical mobile clinics to provide care to folks in rural Virginia. They do incredible work. But I'm the first to admit that treating people once a year at an annual clinic isn't the ideal way to provide healthcare. We should be investing in long-term, permanent solutions to rural health.
I think the Democrats have - we really have failed to be in rural America, in the sense of having our leaders spending time talking to folks in rural America. The president Barack Obama has been there, but other than the president and vice president, we have had not a whole lot of conversation in rural America.
The funding of rural roads is imperative if we want to continue to grow our economy and improve the overall health of our vast, rural regions in the commonwealth. As a native of the Eastern Shore, I know that a single trip down U.S. Route 13 and across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge - Tunnel can show us how important infrastructure is to rural Virginia.
Nor rural sights alone, but rural sounds,
Exhilirate the spirit, and restore
The tone of languid nature.
My commitment to rural North Carolina is personal. I understand the opportunities and challenges our rural communities face.
In Mexico, a network of government-operated rural convenience stores is offering banking services to rural communities.
There is still a desperate need for investment and promotion of education in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. Official figures put Pakistan literacy rate over 45%, but in many rural areas we work it is about 10-15%, and for girls even lower.
Rural poverty happens because people aren't being paid to take adequate care of their places. There's lots of work to do here. And you can't afford to pay anybody to do it! If you depress the price of the products of the place below a certain level, people can't afford to maintain it. And that's the rural dilemma.
I put rural Colorado first, and I introduced the MORE PILT Act to support rural law enforcement, search and rescue operations, wildfire fighting and quality education.