
O’Halleran Launches Blue Dogs Virtual Rural Opportunity Roundtable Series

Rep. Tom O’Halleran, D-Ariz., made a little history on Monday by launching the Blue Dog Democrats’ first-ever virtual rural opportunity roundtable series. The discussion with local and tribal leaders focused on the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on rural and tribal communities.
“There’s no better place to start these discussions than with those who best know these communities and who are leading the fight against the crisis: our local and tribal leaders,” said O’Halleran, the Blue Dog Coalition’s co-chair for Policy.
“Rural communities make up the very fabric of America; their success is our nation’s success. In Washington, I’m fighting to make the voices of rural Arizona families heard,” the centrist Democrat said.
Joining O’Halleran for his discussion with local leaders Monday was Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, of New Mexico, co-chair of the Blue Dog Task Force on Rural Opportunity.
The roundtable series is part of an ongoing effort by the Blue Dog Coalition to develop a forward-looking plan to strengthen rural American. Key to this effort will be helping these areas to build a strong economic foundation and creating good-paying jobs.
According to O’Halleran, the coalition believes crafting the plan requires more than hearing from policy experts. The roundtable series will afford coalition members the opportunity to talk to those who are experiencing issues first-hand in their communities.
Among the issues to be discussed throughout the series are lack of access to broadband in rural communities, health care, small business and entrepreneurship, and the outdoor economy.
After the session, Gov. Brian Vallo of the Acoma Pueblo, commended the Blue Dog Coalition for reaching out to tribal leaders and listening to their concerns and perspectives.
“There is a great need throughout Indian country … but we embrace the challenge,” Vallo said, adding the tribe expects to emerge from the pandemic era “still strong, still focused, and optimistic for better futures for the future generations of our Acoma people.”
A similar sentiment was expressed by Chairman Timothy Nuvangyaoma of the Hopi Tribe.
“COVID-19 has definitely brought to the surface a lot of the challenges that not only the Hopi face, but people across Native America,” he said.
“This is particularly true of health care, but also extends to infrastructure, water issues, and technology,” Nuvangyaoma added.
“I am really thankful for the Blue Dog Coalition for inviting us to at least bring some of these issues to light,” he said.
“What we really like about the Blue Dogs is that they’re problems solvers and they’re willing to reach across the aisle,” said Matthew Chase, CEO and director of the National Association of Counties.
“One of the toughest issues we’ve been facing with COVID-19 is that, unlike other historic events in this country, this has become a partisan exercise,” Chase said. “And what we really need is the help of the Blue Dogs and others to come across the aisle.
“For some reason, aid to local governments has become partisan. And we really want to make sure that it’s a nonpartisan or a bipartisan issue,” he continued. “What we’re looking for is investment. We’re not looking for spending for spending’s sake. We are looking to help stabilize those that need our assistance today … while making strategic investments that help the United States compete in the global economy for years to come.
“If rural areas are left behind, the United States will never reach its full potential,” Chase said. “Rural areas provide the food, the fuel, the fiber, and many important things for this country … and yet they are really being left behind. So we encourage the bipartisan approach to problem solving the Blue Dogs have undertaken.”
In The News
Health
Voting
Congress
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene swept into the District of Columbia jail to check on conditions for the Jan. 6 defendants, with... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene swept into the District of Columbia jail to check on conditions for the Jan. 6 defendants, with Republican lawmakers handshaking and high-fiving the prisoners, who chanted “Let's Go Brandon!” — a coded vulgarity against President Joe Biden — as the group left. A... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans will press forward Friday with a midterm campaign promise by voting on legislation to give... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans will press forward Friday with a midterm campaign promise by voting on legislation to give parents greater say in what is taught in public schools, even as critics decry the “parents' rights” bill as a burdensome proposal that would fuel a... Read More
WASHINGTON — The chief executive of social media app and website TikTok endured five hours of withering accusations in Congress... Read More
WASHINGTON — The chief executive of social media app and website TikTok endured five hours of withering accusations in Congress Thursday that his company acted as the alter ego of the Chinese government and failed to protect children from harmful video content. Several times the lawmakers... Read More
WASHINGTON — The chief executive of Moderna Inc. defended his plan to quadruple the price of the COVID-19 vaccine during... Read More
WASHINGTON — The chief executive of Moderna Inc. defended his plan to quadruple the price of the COVID-19 vaccine during a Senate hearing Wednesday by saying his company is preparing for a sharp decline in demand. With as much as a 90% drop in customers as... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday issued his first veto since taking office, rejecting a bill that would have... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday issued his first veto since taking office, rejecting a bill that would have reversed a Labor Department rule that allowed fiduciary planners to consider environmental, social and governance factors when investing. “This bill would risk your retirement savings by... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday ignored shouted questions from reporters about whether he’ll sign legislation that unanimously passed... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday ignored shouted questions from reporters about whether he’ll sign legislation that unanimously passed Congress last week calling for declassification of information on the origins of COVID-19. On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden was still making... Read More