Speech #920209402

Let me now tell you what my bill does do. To allow more flexible targeting. H.R. 14369 would permit a new designation: one of urban areas impacted by rural migrants and therefore suffering from substantial unemployment. (This is described under Section 111 of the bill.) We have agreed here during these hearings that rural residents who leave home for lack of a job or prospects weaken their small towns by leaving. At the same time they create problems in the cities because their lack of skills often makes it hard for them to find a job in urban areas. The new designation would simply make the central city areas where these people concentrate eligible for EDA attention.