Following President Trump’s Executive Order establishing the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity “to ensure the informed exercise of federal authority that impacts agriculture and rural communities,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue got the group together for their first meeting Thursday to get down to business.
Joined by Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Ajit Pai, and other government officials, the group discussed their joint vision to develop a streamlined method of interagency cooperation to achieve a broad range of goals.
The Interagency Task Force is working to improve quality of life for people living in rural areas, develop a reliable workforce, spur innovation and technology development, and roll back regulations to allow communities to grow and thrive. By directly engaging stakeholders to develop an action plan for legislative reforms and regulatory relief, the Task Force is expected to accomplish a great deal for rural Americans.
Following the meeting, Secretary Perdue issued this statement:
“What we began here today is to lay a fertile seed bed in rural America, where good things can grow. Rural America has been struggling under burdensome regulations, but the leaders we gathered today are willing to work together to turn that around. By establishing this task force, President Trump showed his commitment to prioritizing the prosperity of the farmers and ranchers of America’s heartland, as well as all citizens living in rural communities across this great country. Guided by the President at the helm, and with Secretaries Carson and Perry, Director Mulvaney, Trade Representative Lighthizer, and so many others, we are telling rural America that we’re here, we’re listening, and we’re going to help provide you with the resources, tools, and support to build robust, sustainable communities for generations to come.”
