Congress must address the problem of rural poverty
“Congress faces a challenge. It has to create policies that affect the entire nation, a difficult task considering how large and diverse our country is. Some approaches that might work well in a big city to address issues of poverty, for example, might not be as effective in a small rural community. Members of a U.S. House Ways and Means subcommittee brought together experts earlier this year to explain the differences and commonalities when it comes to urban poverty and rural poverty. That way, lawmakers would be better able to craft policies with needed flexibility. The subcommittee’s membership ranges widely from big-city lawmakers to representatives from rural areas, including Rep. Adrian Smith, the subcommittee chair, who represents Nebraska’s 3rd Congressional District. ‘People often think of poverty only as they see it in cities, not realizing poverty today is more common than ever in suburban and rural areas,’ Smith said in opening the hearing. ‘People also underestimate poverty in rural and remote areas.’”