Kaine Statement On Amendment To Cut Funding For The Appalachian Regional Commission

WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement:

“Today I voted against an amendment to the Energy & Water appropriations bill to cut all funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). Over the past five years, ARC has used approximately $365 million to leverage nearly ten times as much in private investment in things like infrastructure, education incentives, and job-creating economic development in Appalachia. This has helped reduce the number of high-poverty counties in Appalachia by two-thirds since 1960. There’s obviously still a lot of economic hardship in this region, but this amendment would have axed one of the key parts of the solution. I appreciate that the Senate rejected this unwise idea on an overwhelming 25-71 bipartisan vote.”

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