Dear Colleague:

As our country works to contain and respond to COVID-19, we ask that you consider sending a letter to your Governor and elected officials in Washington requesting their support for the Economic Development Administration. 

The ongoing spread of COVID-19 is having disastrous effects on local economies across the country and around the world. Elected officials in your state and Washington are currently negotiating funding packages to assist communities impacted by COVID-19. We are hopeful to see the inclusion of the EDA in these supplemental packages. As you know, the EDA is identified as the lead agency on economic recovery post-disaster. The EDA can play a significant role in helping these communities build back stronger more resilient economies, if the agency is properly supported.

It is essential that your governor’s offices and your elected officials in Washington hear from you now.

We appreciate your consideration and assistance in this request. Please use the draft letter below. Complete the designated lines with your information as you would want them to appear.

Dear [Governor/Senator/Representative]

As [YOUR STATE] works to address the containment and mitigation of COVID-19, we urge you to consider the inclusion of funding for the Economic Development Administration (EDA) in any requests for federal assistance.  As we look to the immediate and long-term recovery, we ask that you remember that the EDA has a role in all disaster recovery. In the two most recent disaster supplemental funding cycles, EDA has received a total of $1.2 billion to help communities recover. 

The National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) identifies the Department of Commerce, through EDA, as the lead agency on the Economic Recovery Support Function (RSF). The mission of this function, as defined by the NDRF:

“The mission of the Economic RSF is to integrate the expertise of the Federal Government to help local, State and Tribal governments and the private sector sustain and/or rebuild businesses and employment, and develop economic opportunities that result in sustainable and economically resilient communities after large-scale and catastrophic incidents.”

Providing EDA with additional funding for recovery efforts will allow the Administration to provide immediate assistance to those in need that will last for years to come. EDA can immediately start working with the affected communities to build back stronger economies and continue working with these communities well into the recovery process. EDA is uniquely positioned to assist in the short-term but is also committed to longer-term recovery, which is the exact reason EDA was chosen to lead economic recovery in the NDRF. EDA can -- and has in the past -- help small businesses and entrepreneurs, support infrastructure improvements, develop strategic plans, and fund efforts to revive tourism, among many other items critical to economic recovery.

I urge you to include EDA in any requests for federal assistance. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or contact Matthew Mullin at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) at 202-223-7800.

Sincerely,

___________

IEDC will continue to provide updates and resources to the economic development community throughout this crisis. We will be hosting a webinar on Monday, March 23rd, at 3:00pm to discuss the latest developments and discuss important next steps. Please contact Matt Mullin at mmullin@iedconline.org or 202-223-7800 with any questions.