During my first three years in the Senate, I am proud to say that my staff and I have combined to visit all 853 Minnesota cities – whether large or small, metro or rural, on or off the beaten path. I have met with thousands of Minnesotans and discussed their concerns face-to-face. As I travel throughout rural Minnesota, I see a very real need for the revitalization and rebuilding of our Main Streets and smaller communities. This is why I continue to push for the adoption of my Rural Renaissance Act – which I’m pleased to say, was included in the Senate version of the Tax Relief Act of 2005, now in conference negotiations. I also continue to work to improve the quality and availability of health care in rural Minnesota, and was honored to receive the Minnesota Hospital Association 2005 Public Achievement Award recently for my advocacy of rural hospitals and the communities they serve.
The Rural Renaissance Act The Rural Renaissance Act will help bring jobs and growth to America’s rural communities, empowering these communities to upgrade outdated, inadequate or non-existent basic infrastructure in order to attract new investment and jobs. This legislation acknowledges that rural America needs significant infrastructure investment in order to join in the rest of the nation’s economic success. My bill will provide $200 million worth of rural renaissance bonds to finance rural development projects. In turn, proceeds from these bonds will pay for an estimated $150 million in rural development grants. The funding will be made available to communities of less than 50,000 people and provide funding for a variety of projects, including the following:
*Water Supply: Many Minnesota cities and towns need help with updating or expanding their drinking water supply systems or their wastewater treatment systems. The West Central Initiative and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) both estimate that there is a $1.5 billion gap between available local, state, and federal resources and the amount needed by Minnesota communities. There are similar needs in communities throughout the rest of the nation. Decaying physical infrastructure needs to be addressed because it impacts more than just health and quality of life. It also impacts the ability of a city or town to build housing, provide services, ensure access to information, and attract jobs. Throughout rural America, progress is being made in many areas, but in others, a lack of funding is impacting the ability of communities to address their needs. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that communities will need an estimated $300 billion to $1 trillion over the next 20 years to repair, replace, or upgrade drinking water and wastewater facilities; accommodate a growing population; and meet new water quality standards.
* Internet Access: Residents and businesses in rural communities often face a challenge in accessing the Internet. This reality can limit the ability of some cities and towns to attract new residents and businesses. While the number of broadband subscribers has risen dramatically in recent years, studies conducted by the FCC, Department of Commerce, and USDA all suggest that urban and high-income areas far outpace coverage in rural and low-income areas. As a result of these disparities, rural America suffers adverse economic and social consequences. The Commerce Department found 21.2 percent of Internet users in urban areas have access to high-speed connections, while only 12.2 percent of Internet users in rural areas have this technology.
*Housing: Housing is essential if communities want to keep the businesses they have or attract new ones. Employers need to know that employees will be able to find housing that they can afford in or near the community. Housing efforts must emphasize new construction and rehabilitation alike. Communities need new units to attract new families, and they must have the ability to help residents remodel and renovate existing housing. Housing in rural America is clearly an economic development issue.
I have seen tremendous support from groups at home and across the country that share a commitment to revitalizing rural America and rebuilding Main Street. Supporters of this bill include Minnesota’s farm and commodity groups, the Association of Minnesota Counties, the Minnesota Rural Water Association, the Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota, the Minnesota Rural Electric Association, the University of Minnesota, the Rural Broadband Coalition, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, and the Telecommunications Industry Association.
Rural Healthcare Initiatives:
The Critical Access to Health Information Technology Act: I have introduced ‘The Critical Access to Health Information Technology Act’ to help Critical Access Hospitals compete for health information technology grants. Most rural hospitals don’t have the personnel capabilities or money to compete for federal funding and this bill would give these hospitals a competitive edge. This is extremely important in Minnesota because we are third in the nation with more than 70 Critical Access Hospitals. A health information technology infrastructure should be encouraged and facilitated as broadly and rapidly as possible to help improve the quality of care. New technologies can reduce medical errors and make the system more efficient.
The Remote Monitoring Access Act of 2005: This bill, which I introduced November 2005, aims to improve remote monitoring technologies in rural areas. One in five Americans lives in rural areas but only one in ten physicians practice in rural areas. This makes it extremely difficult for many of the residents to receive accessible healthcare. These remote technologies allow physicians to monitor and treat patients without a face-to-face office visit, thereby increasing access to physicians for patients living in rural areas. Electronic records reduce the chance of error in patient records – paving the way for better overall healthcare. My legislation will create a new benefit category for remote patient management services in the Medicare physician fee schedule. Under this category, Medicare would cover physician services involved with the remote management of specific medical conditions.
Through these efforts and others, I am committed to being a voice in the Senate for rural Minnesota. Together, we can create opportunity and grow jobs in rural America.