How is the Biden administration investing in rural America? U.S. Dept. of Labor Secretary visits Albany State to talk opportunities, impact

ALBANY – The Biden Administration is investing billions of dollars into rural infrastructure through acts like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. But in a region facing high poverty and population loss, southwest Georgians may wonder how they are benefitting from these investments.

Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga., was joined by U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Julie Su Tuesday at Albany State University to discuss these issues. The officials addressed how their offices are prioritizing the revitalization of rural infrastructure and listened during a roundtable discussion with community leaders on how southwest Georgia organizations have benefitted from funds from Biden administration-created programs.

The guests talked about how initiatives like the American Rescue Plan Act, Infrastructure Investment Act, Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, etc. have led to more funding for rural areas’ access to broadband internet, better roads, clean water, and higher-paying jobs.

“These should not be luxuries,” Su said. “They should be basics.”

Su said since Biden took office, 15.6 million jobs have been created – more than under any president in a three-year time period. She also said unemployment is at its lowest rate since the 1960s. Albany’s has been cut in half under the Biden administration, at about 3% today.

Community leaders shared how their programs had been directly impacted by funds from these acts.

Rhonda Gordon, the executive director of Golden Triangle RC&D in Terrell County, said her nonprofit repaired or replaced 157 wells in southwest Georgia with an investment of $1.35 billion from the Rural Decentralized Water Systems Grant Program.

“You would be surprised how many people in southwest Georgia do not have access to running water in their homes,” she said. “This program is something that is so needed and such a blessing.”

Gordon also said the Rural Energy and Assistance Program has allowed businesses – Bishop said from Colquitt to Seminole counties – to implement more energy-efficient systems and reduce emission costs.

The funding allowed Flint River Fresh to establish “schoolyard farms,” through which students learn entrepreneurship, financial literacy, crop planting and rotation, and how to take produce that one grows and give it to someone in need. The grant covered fertilizer, seed and equipment costs. The nonprofit also receive funding for a refrigerated truck, resulting in the distribution of more than 250,000 pounds of locally grown fresh produce to families in need since October.

Su said the Biden Administration is also focused on bringing “good jobs” to rural communities. This means jobs with a livable income, that are healthy and safe, and treat workers well. The administration supported the creation of work force opportunities through registered apprenticeship programs that allow individuals to earn a paycheck while learning new skills and through educational partnerships with campuses like ASU.

Robert Owor, an ASU professor, said ASU’s Center for Innovation and Technology received a grant to create a community smart garden to teach farmers how to use technology and about vertical agriculture, which allows for more efficient growing.

“We’re still in need of more expansion because southwest Georgia is mainly agricultural and agriculture is becoming more and more technical,” he said.

Su visited Albany’s Turner Job Corps Center during her trip as well. She said the Biden Administration is reimagining job corps centers for people who’ve been disconnected from school or work to have another chance.

She said workers are assembling aircraft, agricultural equipment, biotech and more at the Job Corps center.

After the roundtable discussion, a resource fair featured representatives of organizations like the USDA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Education and more.

Fort Gaines’ Mayor Kenneth Sumpter had a lengthy discussion with a representative from CISA, a federal cyberdefense skill academy. Sumpter said he was looking into expanding his city’s telecommunications systems. Fort Gaines recently installed generators at the city hall.

“The city hall should never go dark,” he said. “We're looking to build a telecom system that would allow us to be a reachable hub in the event of some sort of disaster.”

Sumpter said he attended the discussion at ASU to learn more about what resources and funding are being offered to rural communities. Fort Gaines is on the border of Alabama and had a population of just under 1,000, according to the 2022 Census. It’s situated in Clay County, which is the only county in Georgia that does not have its own high school.

He said the city faces challenges with water and sewer, upgrading public facilities and transportation.

“We have a lot of things to overcome … growing a small, rural town from the brink of disaster back to being viable,” Sumpter said.

He said connecting with federal agencies under the Biden Administration has been helpful.

“Just understanding how they’re funded and can support what we’re doing (is beneficial),” Sumpter said. “There’s money there. It’s just a matter of reaching out to those agencies and finding a fit.”

Bishop said half of Congressional District 2 is rural, and these investments help “every segment of our community” realize its full potential with resources.

“I’m passionate that it should not matter the zip code … these communities should have the same resources and opportunities,” he said.

Su said there’s still a lot of work to do.

“The decades of underinvestment that we’ve seen in rural communities can’t be reversed overnight,” she said. “So we are going to keep at it. We know that we’ve made progress, but there's more work to do to make sure that everybody can feel it.”