Update from Sen. Heitkamp’s Office.

Washington (CSi) – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, Wednesday announced two federal grants totaling $140,000 in federal funding to the Tri-County Regional Development Council in Williston and the South Central Dakota Regional Council in Jamestown to support economic development planning in North Dakota.

 

The federal funds are made available through the Economic Development Administration (EDA), a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce. This EDA funding, which will help communities establish economic development strategies, would be eliminated under President Trump’s budget which he announced two weeks ago. These economic planning strategies aid North Dakota economic development councils across North Dakota in bringing together both public and private resources that will help small businesses, create jobs, and long-term growth.

 

Heitkamp says, “These federal funds reinforce why it’s so important to continue strong investments in rural America. When we partner those federal funds with investments from the private sector, it enables North Dakota businesses to grow and thrive, supporting jobs, families, and safe neighborhoods. But these funds wouldn’t be available if the president’s budget is put to action – and our towns would directly feel the impacts. It makes zero sense to pull the rug out from these communities and small businesses when we know the potential to grow jobs is right here at home.”

 

These federal funds will be distributed as follows:

 

  • Tri-County Regional Development Council, Williston: $70,000 in federal funding that serves the counties of Divide, McKenzie, and Williams.

 

  • South Central Dakota Regional Council, Jamestown: $70,000 in federal funding that serves the counties of Barnes, Dickey, Foster, Griggs, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, Stutsman, and Wells.

 

Recently, Senator Heitkamp was recognized with the Spirit of Enterprise Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for her work in the U.S. Senate to support small businesses through commonsense regulatory reform, making sure small businesses have a seat at the table when rules are made, and pushing for investments to support startups in rural areas and small cities to help them get off the ground. The Chamber also gave Heitkamp a 100 percent rating for her voting record in the U.S. Senate in 2016 supporting North Dakota small businesses.