On January 22, House Transportation & Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management held a hearing entitled “Smarter Spending, Stronger Results: Reducing Duplication and Ensuring Effectiveness Through Economic Development Reforms” to examine the implementation of the economic development program reforms included in the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA).
Testifying on behalf of the Economic Development Administration (EDA) was Ben Page, who serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Development. Additional witnesses included the Federal Co-Chairs of the Federal Regional Commissions.
Deputy Assistant Secretary Page’s opening statement centered around the progress being made in implementing that statutory changes made in WRDA, including establishing new offices, adopting new investment priorities, and strengthening coordination with regional commissions. EDA has also begun work on updating the economic distress criteria, which is expected to take over a year and will include stakeholder engagement opportunities.
The hearing revealed strong bipartisan support for EDA, with lawmakers emphasizing the critical need for core infrastructure and workforce development investments nationwide. A reoccurring concern centered on local capacity constraints, which some committee members and Federal Co-Chairs identified as a significant barrier to economic development projects locally. Additionally, policymakers called for more intentional coordination between the regional commissions and the EDA, along with an enhanced focus on accountability measures to ensure that these investments deliver measurable results for communities.
NADO will keep its members informed on any congressional or EDA implementation actions that emerge as a result of this hearing.