Washington, D.C.— Today, the Center for American Progress released new state-by-state fact sheets examining how President Donald Trump’s budget proposal to eliminate the Appalachian Regional Commission would disproportionately hurt some of Trump’s most economically vulnerable supporters.
The Appalachian Regional Commission, or ARC, works with state and local leaders to fund critical projects promoting economic development, infrastructure, and workforce development in 420 counties across 13 states in the Appalachian region. Per CAP analysis, 95 percent of the counties covered by the ARC voted for Trump in 2016 and stand to lose hundreds of jobs and millions in household income if the ARC is eliminated.
“Trump’s budget is an outright betrayal of the Appalachian communities that helped elect him,” said Sunny Frothingham, CAP Senior Researcher for Women’s Economic Policy. “Communities across Appalachia look to the ARC for everything from basic utilities such as broadband internet and clean water to critical strategic investments in economic revitalization, job training, and education.”
Since the ARC’s founding, ARC funds have helped to cut Appalachian poverty almost in half and boost both job growth and income growth in ARC counties compared to neighboring non-ARC counties.
Please see the following fact sheets on ARC states affected by Trump’s proposal: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
For more information or to speak to an expert, contact Terrence Clark at [email protected] or 202.741.6251.