The White House will put Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in charge of “a new interagency effort focused on addressing rural America’s struggle with heroin and opioid abuse as well as other pressing problems,” said the Washington Post. The announcement was to come today. “The decision to centralize federal decision-making on drug abuse as well as other major problems in rural areas – rising suicide rates, declining physical and mental health, and increased financial stress – comes as addiction to heroin and other opiates has become a crisis in many areas.” Vilsack chairs the White House Rural Council, which includes 15 federal departments and agencies, so he has first-hand experience with the issues, White House chief of staff Denis McDonough told the Post.
“Vilsack will unveil the new initiative during a town hall discussion on Friday at Ohio State University in Columbus, where he will be discussing the expansion of the administration’s rural-development efforts in 11 counties experiencing persistent poverty in the part of Appalachia that extends into southern Ohio,” said the Post. The National Association of Counties said lack of economic opportunity is a destabilizing force in rural areas. Poverty rates are higher and personal incomes are lower in rural areas than cities. Job growth has been slower too.