Heidi Heitkamp · [email protected]

June 30, 2024 at 7:38 PM

I was the last Democrat

One Country Project     It was an honor to serve as the Senator for North Dakota for six years. It's heartbreaking that I was the last Democrat to do so. That's what we're here to fix – elect more Democrats to office by putting rural concerns like infrastructure, hosp…

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  Heidi Heitkamp · [email protected]

June 27, 2024 at 8:14 PM

“Will you shut up, man?!”

One Country Project     Do you remember the first presidential debate in 2020? It was like nothing I had ever seen before. Donald Trump was wild, aggressive, and unhinged. And Joe Biden said what the whole world was thinking: "Will you shut up, man?!" I don't know if to…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

June 25, 2024 at 10:24 PM

Rural Update 6/25: Two Years of Dobbs, Abortion Battles on the Ballot, Presidential Debate

One Country Project     Good afternoon, Two years ago yesterday marked the end of women's health as we knew it. When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, it reversed 50 years of reproductive rights that women across the country could rely on. As OCP board memb…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

June 24, 2024 at 9:46 PM

Montana, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, & Texas

One Country Project     Rural voters will decide who wins and who loses in November. Look at the most important U.S. Senate races in 2024: Montana, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Texas, and many more. The rural voters in these states will be the decisive votes for who cont…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

June 20, 2024 at 5:03 PM

99% of all households in Colorado

One Country Project     It's amazing what's possible with rural-focused leadership. In May, Republicans in Congress blocked funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) – leaving millions of Americans, many rural, all working class, without access to affordab…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

June 18, 2024 at 8:26 PM

Rural Update 6/18: Pride in Rural America, Heat Risks to Health

One Country Project     Good afternoon and Happy Pride! Across the country, communities have been celebrating Pride Month. Even beyond the major city parades, there are hundreds of small towns and rural Prides uplifting the over 3 million members of the LGBTQ+ community…

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  Heidi Heitkamp, One Country Project · [email protected]

June 13, 2024 at 8:10 PM

9 out of 10 rural counties struggle with what?

One Country Project     Nine out of ten counties struggling with food insecurity are rural. Rising food prices and stagnant wages have hit families hard over the last couple of years, and now that pandemic-era benefits are a thing of the past and school is out for sum…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

June 11, 2024 at 9:19 PM

Rural Update 6/11: OCP’s Third Rural Progress Summit, Crossroads and Backroads of Rural America

One Country Project     Good afternoon, It seems like just yesterday that we were working through the FY 2024 Ag-FDA appropriations bill. Perhaps it feels that way because that was a mere three months ago. The FY 2025 bill is scheduled for subcommittee markup this eveni…

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  Tom Bryant, One Country Project · [email protected]

June 10, 2024 at 10:17 PM

Here’s the problem we kept running into

One Country Project     Let me tell you about the first time Heidi asked us to host a Rural Progress Summit. It was 2021, COVID was still making it difficult to gather together, and the One Country team was trying to figure out how we can bring rural priorities to Capit…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

June 6, 2024 at 10:33 PM

A great final day for the Rural Progress Summit!

One Country Project     We've had three amazing days at the Rural Progress Summit! Today's programming included a conversation between OCP founder Heidi Heitkamp and Barbara McQuade, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School and former U.S. Attorney for the E…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

June 6, 2024 at 12:56 AM

Another great day of discussions at OCP's Rural Progress Summit

One Country Project     It has been another great day of discussions at OCP's third Rural Progress Summit! During our second day of the Summit, OCP founder Heidi Heitkamp spoke to Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) about her priorities for the Farm Bill and to National Farm…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

June 4, 2024 at 10:46 PM

Highlights from Day One of the Rural Progress Summit

One Country Project     Hello from OCP's third Rural Progress Summit! Our first day of panel discussions focused on rural families' health, wealth, and educational opportunities. When it comes to helping rural Americans stay and work in their hometowns, as Senator Angus…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

June 2, 2024 at 5:42 PM

A sneak peek at the Montana Senate race…

One Country Project     Have you registered yet? The Rural Progress Summit starts on Tuesday and you won't want to miss it! We will be talking to leading experts on rural issues, hearing from state legislators on where rural child care policy is headed next, and getting…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country · [email protected]

May 31, 2024 at 4:59 PM

Wanna-be despotic liar

One Country Fund     I am sick and tired of the lies and platitudes that newly-convicted felon Donald Trump regurgitates time and again. Trump never actually says what he means or means what he says. So, how can we tell what this wanna-be despotic liar is actually goin…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

May 29, 2024 at 9:52 PM

Rural America is ready to transform

One Country Project     Storms, floods, and tornadoes have slammed rural parts of the U.S. over the last few weeks – battering outdated infrastructure in rural areas with the fewest resources. As storms become more intense, more frequent, and occur earlier in the seaso…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

May 28, 2024 at 7:56 PM

Rural Update 5/28: Democrats’ Keys to Economic Messaging, GOP School Voucher Split

One Country Project     Good afternoon, Around the country, spring is slipping into summer. You can tell by the burgeoning strawberry season, May flowers, and algal blooms – yes, those bountiful cyanobacteria are back and making the rivers and lakes that you're used to …

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  Heidi Heitkamp, One Country Project · [email protected]

May 24, 2024 at 3:30 PM

Reserve your FREE tickets today!

One Country Project     We are less than two weeks away from our third annual Rural Progress Summit, and you won't want to miss it this year! Joel and I will be there to discuss what is next for rural America and how we can all get involved to fight for the policies th…

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  Tom Bryant, One Country Project · [email protected]

May 22, 2024 at 5:39 PM

There’s a glimmer of hope for workers in the South!

One Country Project     There's finally a glimmer of hope for workers organizing across the South! After decades of living under anti-union rhetoric and right-to-work laws, workers in the southern U.S. are witnessing equal parts victory and heartbreak in their fight to…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

May 21, 2024 at 9:14 PM

Rural Update 5/21: White House Rural Communities in Action, Farm Bill Release, School’s Out and Lunch is Over

One Country Project     Good afternoon, Last week, OCP was invited to attend the White House's Rural Communities in Action event, which highlighted how investments in rural America – from the American Rescue Plan, to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Redu…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country · [email protected]

May 20, 2024 at 9:39 PM

Gloating, strutting, and rubbing it in

One Country Fund     How closely are you watching the 2024 election? Maybe you see the occasional headline, but don't read the article. Perhaps you only consume the news on Facebook or TikTok. Or you may keep track of the news with an almost religious zeal – CNN playing…

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  Tom Bryant, One Country Project · [email protected]

May 15, 2024 at 5:35 PM

Here’s what we’re talking about at this years Rural Progress Summit:

One Country Project     We are less than a month away from the Rural Progress Summit! This will be our third Rural Progress Summit, and it is going to feature lots of discussion from the One Country Project's Board — Heidi Heitkamp, J.D. Scholten, Mike Espy, Ashton Clem…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

May 14, 2024 at 9:36 PM

Rural Update 5/14: Observing Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Month

One Country Project     Good afternoon, On Sunday, we celebrated Mother's Day and honored the women in our lives who work hard to provide for their families. We also must acknowledge the struggles that too many families, and especially mothers, face. This Mother's Day, …

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  Heidi Heitkamp, One Country Project · [email protected]

May 11, 2024 at 4:42 PM

1 in 4 active duty servicemembers…

One Country Project     A stunning 1 in 4 active-duty servicemembers are food insecure as classified by the USDA — defined as "a difficulty in feeding yourself or your family members due to lack of economic resources within the last 12 months." Some 10.5% of military m…

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  J.D. Scholten, One Country Project · [email protected]

May 9, 2024 at 5:21 PM

For every dollar we spend, we get two dollars back

One Country Project     No matter what industry you work in, the internet is vital to your business. Maybe you are a graphic designer or a construction worker. Perhaps you run an auto-repair shop or you're a financial advisor. Whatever you do, you can't run your busine…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

May 7, 2024 at 8:48 PM

Rural Update 5/7: Farm Bill, Food Assistance, Focusing on Mental Health

One Country Project     Good afternoon, In case you missed the big news last week, Congress released drafts of the 2024 Farm Bill. That's right, drafts, plural. Historically, the Farm Bill has garnered bipartisan support to fund its variety of titles and programs. Recen…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

May 6, 2024 at 8:10 PM

The biggest wealth building tool in rural America

One Country Project     Here's some good economic news for rural America: President Biden just raised the income ceiling for who qualifies for overtime pay for the first time in over a decade. Currently, salaried workers earning more than $35,568 do not qualify for over…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

May 1, 2024 at 5:41 PM

It’s pretty simple, we talk to rural Americans

One Country Project     How can we fight for progress in 2024? It's pretty simple, we talk to rural America. Washington insiders take rural voters for granted year-after-year and then wonder why nothing has changed. Democrats have ceded the rural vote to Republicans, an…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

April 30, 2024 at 8:41 PM

Rural Update 4/30: Small Businesses, Disaster Resilience, Union Votes, Last Day of ACP

One Country Project     Good afternoon, Yesterday marked the beginning of the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) National Small Business Week, which celebrates the contributions of entrepreneurs and small businesses. Small businesses are essential for rural comm…

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  Heidi Heitkamp, One Country Project · [email protected]

April 28, 2024 at 6:36 PM

What is a good North Dakotan to do?

One Country Project     Do you know why I started the One Country Project? To ensure that rural America's priorities and values are heard, understood and well-represented in Washington. I've seen it time and time again: rural America is experiencing a serious policy pr…

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  Heidi Heitkamp, One Country Project · [email protected]

April 26, 2024 at 6:19 PM

Registration is now open!

One Country Project     We're proud to announce our third annual Rural Progress Summit! Rural communities face existential challenges, and Washington seems to be leaving them behind. The Rural Progress Summit is how we can reconnect rural communities with our leaders in…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

April 23, 2024 at 9:26 PM

Rural Update 4/23: Earth Day, Climate Voters, Coal Mine Reclamation

One Country Project     Good afternoon, Yesterday, the Biden administration marked Earth Day with the announcement of new clean energy grants. The Solar for All grants, issued by the Environmental Protection Agency under the $7 billion Inflation Reduction Act program, w…

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  Mike Espy, One Country Project · [email protected]

April 22, 2024 at 8:14 PM

Here’s how many farms we’ve lost since 1981

One Country Project     525,000. That's how many farms we've lost since 1981. Those are small, medium, and family farms that simply do not exist anymore. Families who lost land they'd lived on for generations, and small towns that lost pillars of their community. What …

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

April 17, 2024 at 9:59 PM

Rural Update 4/17: 2024 Rural Progress Summit, Trump Trial, Trades

One Country Project     Good evening, Registration for One Country's third annual Rural Progress Summit is NOW OPEN! Join us Tuesday, June 4 through Thursday, June 6 to hear from a variety of policymakers and rural stakeholders about paid family leave, the Farm Bill, th…

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  Heidi Heitkamp, One Country Project · [email protected]

April 15, 2024 at 7:25 PM

Republicans are leaving rural communities behind

One Country Project     Republican-led states are feeling the pressure. Big time. 10 states – mostly rural and conservative – still have not adopted Medicaid expansion and extremist Republicans have spent more than a decade fighting against it. But more and more, voter…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

April 11, 2024 at 7:05 PM

It should be a no-brainer

One Country Project     When we say the livelihoods of rural Americans hang on the whims of a few self-important elected officials, this is what we mean: Affordable internet service for 23 million Americans will end on April 30th if congressional Republicans refuse to …

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

April 9, 2024 at 9:08 PM

Rural Update 4/9: Eclipse 🌓 Jobs 📈 ACP 📉

One Country Project     Good afternoon, Throughout the country, everyone from astronomers to conspiracy theorists donned their glasses and watched the eclipse yesterday to enjoy a once-in-a-generation celestial event. If you were doing this: I recommend you get your ey…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

April 2, 2024 at 9:06 PM

Rural Update 4/2: Florida Abortion Ban and Ballot, Busting Barriers to Social Security, Tribal Transportation and Energy Transition

One Country Project     Good afternoon, Yesterday, Florida's Supreme Court banned abortions after six weeks. Fittingly, this incredibly foolish judgement was handed down on April 1. However, it's no laughing matter for the over 4 million women of childbearing age now tr…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

March 30, 2024 at 5:24 PM

Here’s what’s on the line

One Country Project     Tomorrow at midnight is a crucial deadline for One Country Project. In an election year as important as this one, what we can raise now, before midnight on March 31st, determines how many rural voters we can connect with before Election Day. Ca…

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  Heidi Heitkamp, One Country Project · [email protected]

March 28, 2024 at 4:20 PM

The election that decides if we have Reproductive rights in a year.

One Country Project     Were you surprised when Roe v. Wade was dismantled by the Supreme Court? A lot of Americans were, even people who pay attention to the court were surprised. For me, I was shocked, but not surprised. That seems like a pretty small difference. So …

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

March 26, 2024 at 9:09 PM

Rural Update 3/26: Supreme Court Abortion Pill Arguments, Florida Farmworkers Heat Protections

One Country Project     Good afternoon, In the wee hours of Saturday morning, FY2024 appropriations were finally complete. With that done, and no shortage of ill will, lawmakers wasted no time getting out of Dodge for a two-week recess. Hopefully their spirits rise agai…

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  Heidi Heitkamp, One Country Project · [email protected]

March 25, 2024 at 4:22 PM

50% are in the red

One Country Project     50% of America's rural hospitals are operating in the red. For years, rural healthcare has been on a downward slide, but the latest numbers paint a disturbing picture: 418 rural hospitals are now designated as "vulnerable to closure." Over a 10…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

March 19, 2024 at 8:40 PM

Rural Update 3/19: A Final Funding Hurdle, Child Care Costs, Free Lunches

One Country Project     Good afternoon, The words "government shutdown" have been thrown around so much in the past year that we're beyond sick and tired of hearing about it. Friday is the deadline for the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Defense, Financial Servi…

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  Heidi Heitkamp, One Country Project · [email protected]

March 18, 2024 at 6:25 PM

A leader on reproductive rights

One Country Project     I want to tell you about my friend, Anthony Daniels. You might remember him, he's a good friend of One Country Project and the work we do fighting for rural communities. He's also the top Democrat in the Alabama House of Representatives. A few w…

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  J.D. Scholten, One Country Project · [email protected]

March 16, 2024 at 4:01 PM

We need more than Dollar General and gas stations

One Country Project     Rural towns need more than just dollar store chains and gas stations. But grocery stores in rural America have been disappearing. Local grocers have been upended by competition from Amazon, Dollar General, and big-box stores like Walmart in lar…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

March 13, 2024 at 5:48 PM

Biden’s warning to Republicans

One Country Project     "You're about to see their power." That was President Biden's warning to Republicans last week during the State of the Union. Because after the Supreme Court struck down the 49 year old precedent, Roe v. Wade, we have seen women and their allies…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

March 12, 2024 at 8:26 PM

Rural Update 3/12: SOTU, Biden’s Budget, Equal Pay and Paid Family Leave, Working Women

One Country Project     Good afternoon, Late Friday night, the Senate passed the six-bill funding "minibus" and sent it for President Biden's signature to dodge a shutdown of the Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, and Transp…

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  Heidi Heitkamp, One Country Project · [email protected]

March 7, 2024 at 7:44 PM

Tune in tonight!

One Country Project     For months, One Country Project has been pushing the Biden administration to prioritize the issues facing rural communities, and we're about to see all that work pay off: so, get your bingo cards ready! Tonight is President Biden's third State o…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

March 5, 2024 at 9:55 PM

Rural Update 3/5: Super Tuesday, Minibus, Right to Read

One Country Project     Good afternoon and happy Super Tuesday! If you live in one of the following 15 states – Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia – to…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

March 4, 2024 at 7:43 PM

Where’s our safety net?

One Country Project     Rural Americans are missing out on a very basic safety net: sick leave. In particular, workers in construction, farming, forestry, and extraction, and folks who work part-time or earn lower wages, often have no paid sick or family leave whatsoev…

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  Tessa Gould, One Country Project · [email protected]

February 27, 2024 at 10:17 PM

Rural Update 2/27: Delegates in Disarray, Defining Personhood in Alabama, Government Shutdown Take Three

One Country Project     Good afternoon, In Saturday's South Carolina primary, former president Donald Trump beat Nikki Haley in her own state. We're not shocked, just disappointed. Here's what those results mean: of the 50 delegates at stake in the race, three are award…

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