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Dairy and crop farmers across the Midwest are going out of business due to the Trump administration's tariffs and the operating costs of farming, Montgomery, Minnesota

How President Trump Failed Rural America (and How To Fix It)

From the moment President Donald Trump took office, his administration has openly attacked rural communities by attempting to dismantle key programs and services on which they rely.

Most recently, the president announced on Twitter that he had directed White House negotiators to abandon talks with Democratic leaders to strike a new COVID-19 stimulus deal earlier this week, which could have severe implications for rural Americans who have lost vital income as a result of the pandemic.

While President Trump later walked this statement back, making such a reckless decision in the first place shows just how little his administration is invested in protecting rural and other vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of course, the president's harmful actions stretch back long before the coronavirus crisis. His administration also made rural Americans pay the price for the border wall showdown, sided with agribusiness against independent farmers, repeatedly left farmers of color in the lurch, and much more.

This report from the Center for American Progress' Economy team highlights 10 ways Trump has hurt rural Americans throughout his presidency—and it offers 10 steps that can help achieve a more resilient rural America in the future.

Read more »

Share on Twitter: The Rural-Urban Income Gap
Since 2016, the difference in average household income between metro and nonmetro areas has increased by nearly 30 percent.
Retweet | Follow @CAPeconomy

In the Spotlight: ACA Repeal in the Midst of COVID-19

Sisters wait in line for a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, September 25, 2017

The day after leaving the hospital following treatment for COVID-19, President Trump tweeted that he was ending negotiations with Congress over a potential coronavirus relief package until after the election. In the meantime he encouraged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to "focus full time" on confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Now that the president has reversed himself, negotiations over a relief bill will resume—but confirmation proceedings will also begin next week. Moreover, the confirmation is being prioritized despite the fact that several U.S. senators also now have COVID-19, laying the groundwork to take down the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and take insurance and protections away from millions of people right when they need them the most.

CAP's experts have previewed the chaos that would result from repealing the ACA in the midst of a pandemic as well as the financial windfall that would await the very wealthy. In the coming weeks, CAP will be looking more closely at the potential impact of repeal on particularly vulnerable communities and on the issues and programs that matter most. Today, the CAP Disability Justice Initiative is out with a look at the crushing blow that would be dealt to Americans with disabilities, for whom the ACA was a game-changer on par with the Americans with Disabilities Act in terms of its impact on people's lives. Repeal would have widespread and catastrophic ramifications just as the disability community is expected to grow by the greatest number of people in 30 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more »

Stay tuned to CAP's Courts and the Affordable Care Act page for the latest work on this life-and-death situation.

Major Stories This Week

The tent of a person experiencing homelessness sits on a bridge with the Los Angeles skyline in the background

Count People Where They Are

People experiencing homelessness have been historically undercounted in the decennial census. This report sheds light on how the U.S. Census Bureau miscounts them and how that affects the federally funded programs that are essential to meeting their needs.

Student immigration activists participate in a rally defending Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in front of the U.S. Supreme Court after they walked out from area high schools and universities

The Newest Threat to DACA Recipients

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has improved the well-being of recipients and their families and has been important for the U.S. economy—as well as for U.S. society more broadly—but it is again under attack. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's recent policy changes could potentially undo the gains that DACA recipients have made.

A participant holds a rainbow flag as the Reclaim Pride Coalition takes to the streets of Manhattan for the second annual Queer Liberation March

Being LGBTQ in 2020 America

Many LGBTQ people continue to face discrimination in their personal lives, in the workplace and the public sphere, and in their access to critical health care. This experience of discrimination leads to many adverse consequences for their financial, mental, and physical well-being.

The K-12 Overhaul We Need

Money matters in education, and years of chronic underinvestment at the federal, state, and local levels have undermined many aspects of school quality, negatively affecting educators and students alike. CAP is proposing a new framework for a major federal investment: Public Education Opportunity Grants.

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Waiting and Watching: What To Expect From Election Night 2020 | RSVP

Wednesday, October 14, 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. ET
Competing at Full Strength in 5G: How the United States Can Counter China and Unleash the Power of American Innovation | RSVP

Friday, October 16, 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. ET
Increasing Federal Investment in K-12 Public Education With an Equity Lens | RSVP

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