Rabbit rabbit and welcome to August. Pressure to pass critical appropriations bills has been postponed as lawmakers return to their districts for a month-long recess. While those tensions are cooling, we're still feeling the heat after another record-hot month.

CONGRESS FAILS TO FEEL THE HEAT TO PASS FARM BILL

• Of 12 appropriations bills necessary to continue funding the government, the House of Representatives only managed to pass one. Consideration of the agriculture appropriations bill was punted to September as Congress adjourns without acting.

• While the House of Representatives doesn't seem to be sweating advancing ag appropriations or a Farm Bill, farmers and farmworkers continue to be on the front lines of the climate crisis and are sweltering under deadly heat.

• President Biden issued the first-ever Hazard Alert to provide federal protections to workers, particularly those in exposed industries like agriculture and construction, from the impacts of extreme heat.

• As the temperature ticks up across the country, so must the heat on politicians to act on the Farm Bill. A Farm Bill that secures a strong farming foundation, preserves the rural way of life, and makes rural America's economy viable and vibrant today and tomorrow must be prioritized this fall. Read OCP's full statement here.

REDUCE, REUSE, REGENERATE

• While the government is kicking the can down the road and Republicans in the House are looking to slash Inflation Reduction Act funding for climate-smart agriculture, industry is taking important steps forward.

• Walmart is partnering with PepsiCo for a 2-million-acre regenerative agriculture program across the U.S. and Canada that will improve soil conditions and water quality. The climate-friendly practices are intended to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 4 million metric tons by 2030.

DEGREE OF SEPARATION

• An educational degree and location are major drivers of workers' economic circumstances. Workers in rural America are much less likely to have a college degree than their urban counterparts. Those who do graduate college often move. They are also 33 percent less likely to be employed than their urban counterparts.

• Underinvestment in rural America has pushed workers out of the labor force, with automation closing opportunities and a lack of broadband preventing new ones from opening up.

• The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act have made substantial investments in the rural economy and begun to create jobs for the non-college-educated workforce, but more efforts need to be made to improve the quality of jobs, expand career pathways, and increase wages for those without a four-year degree. Read Third Way's full report here.

STATE OF SELFLESSNESS

• In Hawaii, volunteer pilots of Angel Flight West are flying Hawaiians in rural areas to critical medical appointments for free.

• In Washington, the Council on Aging and Human Services is providing food and transportation to Whitman County residents in need of a hot meal or a doctor's appointment.

• In West Virginia, Mountaineer Food Bank and DoorDash delivered free groceries to 175 food-insecure families in Mercer County.

Each week, OCP highlights selfless acts of service impacting rural communities across the country. Know of someone making a difference in their local community? Let us know at [email protected].

• OCP board member and North Carolina House District 57 Representative Ashton Clemmons represented North Carolina at the White House States Convening on Child Care.

• The Washington Post: N.C. Democratic chair on reaching young voters and rural communities
• KCUR: U.S. Farmers Are Facing a Tough Economy: Lower Crop Prices and High Interest Rates
• The Reflector: Residents are at a Loss After Newspaper That Bound Community Together Shuts in Declining Coal County
• Oregon Public Broadcasting: Baker City maternity ward's looming closure has expectant parents fearing the worst

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