Pennsylvania a Successful Kickoff to the Tour

We started off the day on Air Force Two, travelling with Vice President Biden and Secretary of Commerce Locke to Wattsburg, PA, to kick off President Obama's Rural Tour. As part of the tour, we made a major announcement about USDA and the Department of Commerce providing Recovery Act funds for broadband in unserved and underserved communities.

There were about 500 people at the event. Vice President Biden spoke passionately about the Obama-Biden Administration's commitment to helping rural America succeed - their efforts in the short time they have been in office have been immediate, comprehensive and bold.

Not only have they provided considerable resources and assistance to rural communities, their commitment to developing alternative energy sources, improving critical infrastructure and making broadband accessible to rural areas is significant.

After taking questions from the audience - most people were interested in the application process and the criteria for funding - the Vice President departed and we began our drive to Pittsburgh. En route, we stopped at Hank's Frozen Custard and a John Deere store to talk with more residents of the area. Afterwards we met with a group of dairy farmers to talk about important issues for their industry.

Many dairy farmers are struggling. I wanted to hear from them how we could be helpful and also, explain to them what we have done already to help the industry. In the last few months we have taken action to support these producers by providing Milk Income Loss Contract payments, donating surplus products to food banks and other feeding programs, and utilizing the Dairy Export Incentive Program to promote dairy exports. I stressed that we will continue to monitor the situation and work to support this important industry.

We finished up the night at the Pirates game where I was able to do Pittsburgh Radio Network for a few innings and share with listeners in my home town the many ways USDA impacts the lives of every American every day. Throwing out the first pitch was a lot of fun and it was great to be at the stadium on such a nice night.

All in all, the first stop of the Rural Tour was a success. I am continually inspired by the spirit and resolve of Americans and am looking forward to upcoming events.

Permalink  |  Posted at: 04:00PM Jul 02, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA  |  Add Your Comment Here [2]