July 10, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC – In case you missed it, Punchbowl News reported this afternoon that Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ranking Member and Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, demanded answers from the Trump Administration on its proposal to close the Economic Development Administration (EDA).
In a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Lutnick, the senators urge the Administration to keep this vital agency open.
“From Maryland to North Dakota and beyond, [EDA] investments are making a positive difference in the lives of those we serve,” wrote Senators Alsobrooks and Cramer.
“Since Congress reauthorized the agency and got it back to its core mission of supporting critical infrastructure, workforce development, and entrepreneurship, let’s get some real work done for our constituents by keeping the EDA open and adequately resourced,” continued Senators Alsobrooks and Cramer.
Congress reauthorized the EDA for the first time in 20 years with strong bipartisan support.
In 2024 alone, the EDA invested more than $1 billion in 583 projects across the country, with many of these investments occurring in underserved and rural areas. In total, these funds supported over 50,000 jobs and attracted more than $7.5 billion in private investment. In some communities with limited population and taxbase, the agency is the only viable option to spur targeted investments. The EDA also plays a key role in disaster recovery, providing funding for communities and businesses impacted from hurricanes and other natural disasters, while also assisting during public health emergencies.
Read the full letter here or below:
Dear Secretary Lutnick,
We write concerning the Administration’s recent proposal to close the Economic Development Administration (EDA). This agency has played an important role in fostering job creation and spurring economic growth in underserved and rural communities since 1965. Eliminating it would severely hamper locally driven economic development activities nationwide.
Just last year, Congress reauthorized the EDA for the first time in 20 years, restructuring and codifying the agency’s investment priorities into statute. This will keep the agency focused on a clear mission regardless of who is in office. The provision was negotiated across the aisle under regular order, indicating a desire to build and refine the agency, not dismantle it.
In 2024 alone, the EDA invested more than $1 billion in 583 projects across the country, with many of these investments occurring in underserved and rural areas. In total, these funds supported over 50,000 jobs and attracted more than $7.5 billion in private investment. In some communities with limited population and taxbase, the agency is the only viable option to spur targeted investments. The EDA also plays a key role in disaster recovery, providing funding for communities and businesses impacted from hurricanes and other natural disasters, while also assisting during public health emergencies.
From Maryland to North Dakota and beyond, these investments are making a positive difference in the lives of those we serve. Maryland has received funding for training and apprenticeship programs, startups and entrepreneur opportunities, as well as funds for projects that generate tourism, bringing increased jobs and revenue to our state. North Dakota has received funding for healthcare workforce development, agricultural production and tourism. For example, a $1.3 million EDA grant to the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks to help them expand their medical training program, which is critical as the country deals with a growing demand for technicians, nurses, and physicians.
The EDA supports targeted economic opportunities for communities across the country, providing jobs and much more. Since Congress reauthorized the agency and got it back to its core mission of supporting critical infrastructure, workforce development, and entrepreneurship, let’s get some real work done for our constituents by keeping the EDA open and adequately resourced.
Sincerely,
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