Sen. Kamala Harris announces plan to help rural America

Kamala Harris (Getty Images)

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has released a plan to help rural America. Sen. Harris, a senator from California, said President Trump has been fighting a "war on rural America" and that his actions since taking office are a "betrayal" of his campaign promises.

"She said her goal is to 'reverse' those policies by investing $100 billion in a fund for businesses that prioritize hiring from rural communities and support their development," Justine Coleman reports for The Hill."

Here are the highlights of the plan:

• A rural jobs tax credit for companies that hire people from rural areas. Businesses would receive a $10,000 credit for each new full-time employee per year, with a $250,000 cap.
• End the trade war with China, which Harris says hurts rural communities and family farmers.
• Reinstate the Farmer Fair Practice Rules to protect family farmers from large agribusinesses.
• Incentives for farmers and ranchers to adopt more environmentally friendly practices.
• Re-establish the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration as an independent office in the Agriculture Department.
• Crack down on major agriculture mergers.
• Increased investment into existing and innovative rural-focused federal programs, including the Small Business Administration's rural area programs.
• Clamp down on Renewable Fuel Standard hardship waivers for oil refiners.
• Pass Medicare for All to increase rural health-care access.
• Provide incentives for hospitals to provide women's and children's health services.
• Reduce child-care expenses and invest in child-care programs.
• Allow rural health-care providers more flexibility to treat patients in different settings.
• Incentives to provide more and better health care for rural seniors.
• More funding for mental health, substance abuse treatment, and telemedicine.
• Go after pharmaceutical companies that encouraged the opioid epidemic.
• Increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for families with children.
• An $80 billion program to build out broadband to rural America.
• Create a new agricultural worker visa program to address the shortage of farm workers.
• Direct more funds toward agricultural sciences in colleges to encourage young people to farm.
• Strengthen rural housing support. 

Click here to compare Democratic candidates' rural policy plans, via The Daily Yonder's 2020 Rural Policy Tracker.

The Rural Blog reports major statements by presidential candidates about rural policy.