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Washington, DC – Congressman Bill Shuster, Chairman of the Economic Development Subcommittee, held a Town Hall meeting in Somerset to talk about projects benefiting our communities that are funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). Shuster was accompanied by Anne B. Pope, federal Co-Chair of ARC, and business and civic leaders from around the region discussed how they have benefited from the ARC funds. The town hall meetings are being held as part of reauthorization of ARC that is currently under consideration by Congress.
“I was excited to hear from my constituents the positive impact the ARC has made on the economic development of Somerset County and other areas of Pennsylvania,” said Shuster. “The ARC grants aren’t giveaways; they are positive investments in the region. These grants help communities to help themselves, by providing them with funding for the programs they know they need. I plan to return to Washington and tell the other members of Congress the success stories I have heard here today as we work to reauthorize funds for the ARC.”
Shuster is an original co-sponsor of the legislation reauthorizing the ARC. The ARC’s projects span 410 counties in the Appalachians, ranging from New York to Mississippi, including significant portions of Pennsylvania’s Ninth Congressional District. Over the past 40 years, the ARC has significantly improved the economic conditions in the Appalachian regions, which encompasses 23 million people.
Shuster also participated in another Town Hall meeting on the ARC funds in Elkins, West Virginia. He was accompanied by Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (WV-02), where they heard similar success stories about the ARC funds from local leaders.
Shuster chairs the subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. The ARC falls under the jurisdiction of this subcommittee, which is a part of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. |
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