Senator Coburn's amendment defeated
The Senate voted 85-13 today to kill an amendment sponsored by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) which would have reduced $1 billion, or 40 percent, in funding from rural development programs for Fiscal Year 2012. The Rural Development promotes economic developing by supporting loans, funding infrastructure projects and building community facilities. For most rural areas, financing assistance available through rural development is the only source of capital available to improve housing, community facilities, public infrastructure and broadband. The Rural Development Campaign, which the NRHA is a part of, strongly opposed this amendment.