Governor Warner Applauds Decision to Restore Appalachian Regional Commission Funding
November 6, 2003
Governor Warner Applauds Decision to Restore Appalachian Regional Commission Funding
RICHMONDGovernor Mark R. Warner issued the following statement today regarding the report of a federal House-Senate conference committee to appropriate $66 million in Appalachian Regional Commission funding for Fiscal Year 2004. The appropriation will bring ARC program funding back to its previous level before the Bush administration proposed a 50 percent reduction in funding.
"I have spent the past year advocating for full funding for the ARC program. As we as a nation have invested in rebuilding nations abroad, it is heartening to see such basic human needs addressed on our home soil. I am pleased that our efforts to convince committee members to restore these precious and effective funds were successful. As the States' Co-Chair of the ARC and as governor of an ARC state, I have seen first hand the vital role that ARC funding plays in bringing jobs, opportunity, and hope to our Appalachian communities. I will continue to work with Virginia's Congressional leaders to ensure that this allocation receives approval from the full Congress."