Community Project Funding Guidance

Earlier this month, the House of Representatives received its guidance regarding Community Project Funding requests. With this funding, I can submit a request to fund specific projects in the Seventh District, so long as the project has a federal nexus and meets other requirements established by federal law, House Rules, and the Appropriations Committee to ensure only high-quality projects are requested and funded. You can see which projects from the Seventh District received funding last year on my website.

Applications and letters of support must be submitted to my office by April 25. If you are interested in applying for Community Project Funding, please click here.

Investing in Rural America

Rural communities across the country are struggling to retain population, much less attract future generations. One way Congress can support them is by eliminating unnecessary regulatory barriers to capital investment, particularly on critical community facilities like hospitals, childcare centers, and senior care centers. My Investing in Rural America Act would do just that by eliminating unnecessary regulatory barriers to capital investment. Specifically, this legislation encourages investment in rural communities by: 

• Restoring and codifying farm credit institutions' (FCI) eligibility to finance essential rural facilities in partnership with local lenders and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Community Facilities Loan and Grant Program,
• Placing explicit guardrails around FCI's lending authorities in financing essential community facilities, including a requirement to offer participation with at least one non-FCI lending institution on any potential project, and
• Requiring a report to Congress on the projects undertaken by FCIs, including the partnerships established between lending institutions for such projects.

I am proud to introduce bills that attract private sector investment in these kinds of facilities, strengthening our rural communities and encouraging future generations to see them as home. 

Protecting Rural Infrastructure Dollars

Currently, a "rural area" is defined by the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program (also known as the Rural Grant Program) as an area outside of an urbanized area with a population of over 200,000. Moorhead, the largest city in the whole Seventh District, has 45,202 people in it according to the 2023 census.

Implementation failures and a broad definition of "rural" have resulted in our truly rural areas being disadvantaged while areas with much larger populations, like the massive Fresno, CA area, reaping the benefits instead. One of my top priorities in Congress is making sure the strong rural communities I represent are receiving funding to improve and expand transportation infrastructure.

I am a proud co-sponsor of the Protecting Infrastructure Investments for Rural America Act. This bill would remove barriers for rural communities to apply for and receive funding under the Rural Grant Program and lower the definition of "rural area" from 200,000 to 30,000. It would also increase the federal cost share amounts for communities with 5,000 or fewer people.

Easing Healthcare Costs for Counties

I have spoken with several county and local officials, and I have heard their concerns about healthcare-related constraints on their budgets. One small but meaningful way we can address this is by relieving the financial burden on counties regarding medical care for incarcerated persons.

Currently, when a person on Medicaid is incarcerated, they stop being eligible for Medicaid until the Inmate Exclusion Policy kicks in upon conviction. This causes a lapse in care during their incarceration, forcing counties to foot the bill. Obviously, this system can cause issues for counties that are navigating other healthcare-related budget issues.

The REENTRY Act has been reintroduced and I am a proud co-sponsor as I was last Congress. This bipartisan legislation would allow inmates to use Medicaid for things like addiction treatment or psychiatric medication during the 30-day period before an individual’s release when they are transitioned to community care. Not only does this take some of the burden off counties, but it also allows incarcerated individuals to have a smoother transition back to society help break the cycle of individuals returning to jail.

Recognizing Fraternal Organizations

Fraternal organizations like the Elks, the Knights of Columbus, the Lions, and so many others are so important for our strong rural communities. They support local charities, provide volunteer and community service opportunities, and bringing people together. According to the most recent data, nationwide, these groups have invested over 51 million hours volunteering and have raised over $642 million for charity.

I am very proud of all that the fraternal organizations in the Seventh District do for their local area. And I was proud to co-sponsor a resolution to recognize the benefits that fraternal organizations provide in our communities.

Thank you for reading!

fischbach.house.gov

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