Relief, Recovery and Reimagination: A Federal Policy Agenda to Meet this Moment in Rural and Small Town America

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, politicians have chosen to sacrifice rural communities for the profits of corporate monopolies. In response, this report provides a vision of Relief, Recovery, and Reimagination necessary to positively transform rural communities and small towns. The policies featured in this report provide immediate help to respond to the challenges caused by COVID-19, such as delivering economic relief, protecting the U.S. Postal Service, and offering free testing and vaccines. Additionally, this report outlines policies that need to be implemented once the pandemic ends, such as increasing the minimum wage and investing in rebuilding infrastructure. Lastly, since it is not enough to patch the old system back together, this report also discusses policies needed to build resilient rural communities in the long run.