Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment I introduced, which increases the Circuit Rider program. The modest increase of $418,000, offset entirely, means cleaner water for rural America.

Circuit riders travel from facility to facility across our small towns, lending expertise and technical assistance because each individual locality does not have the money to pay for their own. Many treatment facilities in rural America have a dozen or less employees, and these circuit riders save money for local budgets and taxpayers.

According to the National Rural Water Association, this minor increase allows for about 90 more circuit riders. That is 90 more experts traveling across rural America and rural Minnesota, lending their invaluable knowledge to our rural water treatment facilities.

In an industry losing expertise to retirement or other jobs, this funding can also be used to keep these mission-critical positions competitive.

Finally, this amendment brings funding for the Circuit Rider Program in line with a request I led along with 50 other bipartisan Members of Congress.

Let's allow rural America to have clean, sanitary water, free up local budgets, and ensure our rural operators get the technical assistance they so desperately need.

Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of my amendment.

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