Good afternoon,

With the highly anticipated presidential debate behind us, former President Donald Trump has been declared the loser and is still struggling to explain his poor performance. However, this has not stopped him from spreading more lies and baseless claims, the most ridiculous being that Haitian immigrants are eating pets and the recent debate was rigged.

Here are a few important updates in rural America ...

DEBUNKING TRUMP'S DEBATE LIES

• Last week, former President Trump went to head-to-head with Vice President Kamala Harris during the presidential debate, spewing several lies we would like to debunk once and for all! For starters, Trump repeatedly blamed the Biden-Harris administration for record levels of immigration. Ironically, Trump killed the bipartisan immigration bill – the toughest and fairest border security proposal in a generation – to boost his own political campaign. The truth is, today, border crossings are at their lowest level since 2020.

• Abortion was another hot topic of the debate, with Vice President Harris reinforcing her support for reproductive rights in our country and Trump touting harmful Republican talking points. At one point, Trump said, "Her vice-presidential pick says abortion in the ninth month is absolutely fine. He also says, 'execution after birth' – execution, no longer abortion because the baby is born – is okay." This is a complete lie. Tim Walz has not said this and "execution after birth" is illegal in all states. False claims like Trump's are harmful and only perpetuate larger issues like the increase in barriers to reproductive healthcare access for women in the U.S., which are mostly concentrated in rural communities.

• In an effort to expand the conversation around women's health and abortion with a rural lens, One Country Project hosted a women's health panel at the Democratic National Convention. Panelists included Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families, Tammi Kromenaker, clinic director at Red River Women's Clinic, AL State Representative Marilyn Lands, and Dr. Emily Boevers. The panel sparked insightful conversations, engaging community leaders, champions of women's health, and more.

HARRIS FOR RURAL AMERICA AND THINGS LEFT UNSAID

• Vice President Harris had a strong debate performance last week, leading on topics like abortion and protecting democracy. She also "addressed policy, including tax breaks for parents and small businesses, as well as a first-time home-buyer credit for down payments." Throughout the debate, Harris was able to draw a stark contrast between herself and Trump, knock him off kilter, appeal directly to the American people, and hold her own in her responses.

• While Harris came out of the debate on top, there were still several things left unsaid when it comes to rural America. There was no mention of the Farm Bill and the need to pass a strong piece of legislation that will protect food assistance and support farmers. Additionally, there was no discussion on agriculture, education, and other policy areas impacting rural communities. With the election quickly approaching, we must continue to amplify rural voices across the country and the issues impacting them.

• The U.S. Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research is holding a hearing on school lunch and breakfast programs on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. The hearing is titled "Keeping Kids Learning in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program." One Country has been a staunch supporter of these programs and will be recapping this subcommittee hearing in next week's rural update.

• Former President Barack Obama is expected to headline a fundraiser for Vice President Harris on Friday, September 20, 2024.

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