Hoeven Discusses Opportunities for USDA Loan Programs to Advance Energy Security, Meet Rural Health Care, Housing & Livestock Producer Needs

WASHINGTON – At a hearing of the Senate Agriculture Committee this week, Senator John Hoeven discussed with Glen Smith, the nominee to serve as Under Secretary for Rural Development, the opportunity to leverage credit programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to advance a range of priorities in rural America. Smith currently serves as chairman of the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation (FCSIC) and a member of the Farm Credit Administration (FCA) board of directors. Accordingly, both in the hearing and a meeting Hoeven held with Smith in September, the senator outlined how Smith’s experience will empower Rural Development to make the best use of its credit programs and how they can work together to:
“In North Dakota, we’ve made good use of credit programs at USDA to empower communities to meet local and regional needs, particularly for health care. We’re working to expand upon those efforts, including by working with our rural electric cooperatives to advance Crack the Code 2.0 in the Bakken, and Glen Smith will be an important partner in moving that initiative forward,” said Hoeven. “Whether it’s energy security, health care, housing or better helping livestock producers sell their commodities, we have real opportunities through Rural Development to improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. I look forward to working with Mr. Smith to do just that once he’s confirmed to his new role.”
CRACK THE CODE 2.0
This week’s hearing comes as the latest in Hoeven’s efforts to secure federal support for Crack the Code 2.0, which seeks to partner North Dakota’s oil and coal industries to double both the ultimate oil recovery in the Bakken and the operational life of the state’s coal-fired power plants. To move this priority forward, Hoeven:
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