Speakers urge support for Farm Bill’s rural development title, highlighting broadband, hospitals and water projects
February 19, 2026 | Agriculture: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal
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Speaker 2, Unidentified Speaker, urged public support for the rural development title of the Farm Bill, saying it funds programs intended to help rural communities and to ‘lift up and empower’ residents. "About 1 in 6 Americans live in a rural area," Speaker 2 said. "That's about 60,000,000 people."
The rural development title, Speaker 2 said, includes a wide set of programs—"there are over 70 programs included in the rural development title of the Farm Bill"—and underpins investments in community facilities. "On the ground, this looks like investments in community facilities like high speed internet, rural hospitals, meat processing, water infrastructure, and a whole lot more," Speaker 2 said.
Speaker 2 framed the programs as broadly relevant even to non-rural residents because they likely affect family members and friends in rural areas, arguing that "America's heartland shouldn't be left behind." Speaker 2 also asserted that "USDA's Rural Development Agency is uniquely positioned and uniquely qualified to serve the needs of rural America," and described grants, loans and technical assistance as the primary delivery mechanisms. Speaker 3, Unidentified Speaker, reinforced the outreach point, saying the title "was never meant to be a secret" and urging listeners to spread the word.
No formal motions, votes, or agency decisions were recorded in the transcript. The session concluded with a direct appeal from Speaker 2: "Support the farm bill. Support rural America."
The rural development title, Speaker 2 said, includes a wide set of programs—"there are over 70 programs included in the rural development title of the Farm Bill"—and underpins investments in community facilities. "On the ground, this looks like investments in community facilities like high speed internet, rural hospitals, meat processing, water infrastructure, and a whole lot more," Speaker 2 said.
Speaker 2 framed the programs as broadly relevant even to non-rural residents because they likely affect family members and friends in rural areas, arguing that "America's heartland shouldn't be left behind." Speaker 2 also asserted that "USDA's Rural Development Agency is uniquely positioned and uniquely qualified to serve the needs of rural America," and described grants, loans and technical assistance as the primary delivery mechanisms. Speaker 3, Unidentified Speaker, reinforced the outreach point, saying the title "was never meant to be a secret" and urging listeners to spread the word.
No formal motions, votes, or agency decisions were recorded in the transcript. The session concluded with a direct appeal from Speaker 2: "Support the farm bill. Support rural America."
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