AFBF says the president’s infrastructure proposal would bring long overdue improvements to rural areas. The proposed $50 billion will fund rural infrastructure projects. Andrew Walmsley, congressional relations director, explained in Tuesday’s Newsline (Februrary 13, 2018),  that funding would provide a boost to rural communities.  

“That means a lot to rural America, the opportunity that those dollars are available strictly to rural America, and it’s available for a whole host of projects,” Walmsley said. “The other thing that’s appealing about that is that it provides a lot of local control back to the states to prioritize those rural projects that are most needed in their communities. There’s other parts that are obviously helpful in the proposal, from permitting streamlining and other improvements, but that’s a big piece.”