Wednesday evening, Sec. Tom Vilsack was sworn into office from his home in Iowa virtually by Vice President Kamala Harris. Vilsack wasted no time.
Thursday morning, USDA announced a $42 million investment to help rural residents gain access to telemedicine and educational opportunities.
“Rural residents are more vulnerable to serious infection and death,” said Vilsack. “[COVID] infection rates are higher in rural America according to the Rural Policy Research Institute’s report. It’s incredibly important for the Department of Agriculture that’s focused on rural development and rural life to do what it can to expand access to healthcare facilities and healthcare generally.”