Echoes of Appalachia

In a stunning move that has gone largely unnoticed in mainstream coverage, President Donald Trump’s proposed discretionary budget includes a jaw-dropping 93 percent cut to the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). This reduction would slash the agency’s funding from $200 million to just $14 million, effectively crippling one of the most important support systems for one of the poorest and most underserved regions in the United States.

While headlines focus on high-profile drama and political infighting, a quiet disaster is looming over Appalachia. And barely anyone is talking about it.

What Is the Appalachian Regional Commission

The ARC was created in 1965 as part of the War on Poverty to address decades of economic isolation and chronic underdevelopment in the Appalachian Mountains. At the time, fewer than half of homes in the region had indoor plumbing. Today, thanks in part to the ARC, over 90 percent do. For more than half a century, the ARC has helped improve infrastructure, create jobs, and offer hope in communities that had long been neglected.

The commission serves 423 counties across 13 states from southern New York to northern Mississippi. Its mission is to help rural Appalachian communities access the resources they need to thrive, including modern utilities, transportation networks, education programs, and healthcare.

Recent ARC Success Stories

Despite its low national profile, the ARC has been instrumental in solving some of the region’s most pressing challenges. In just the past couple of years, its initiatives have had a dramatic impact.

In 2023 alone, the agency invested $68.2 million in revitalization projects aimed at helping coal-impacted communities transition to new industries. This funding trained over 10,000 workers and led to the creation of more than 2,400 jobs in alternative sectors like healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy.

The ARC has also been a key force in fighting the region’s devastating opioid crisis. A total of $11.5 million was directed toward 39 community-based projects focused on addiction recovery and workforce reintegration. In areas where overdose rates remain significantly higher than the national average, these programs have been life changing.

Broadband access, another major challenge for rural areas, has also been a focus. In 2022, the ARC allocated $6.3 million to expand high-speed internet access to more than 50 underserved communities. This gave thousands of households access to essential services like online education, telemedicine, and remote employment opportunities.

What Would a 93 Percent Cut Mean

Reducing the ARC’s budget to just $14 million would all but eliminate its ability to function. That amount barely covers administrative operations and would make it nearly impossible to fund meaningful projects.

Entire communities stand to lose access to workforce training, small business development, infrastructure improvements, and addiction support. Programs that have been years in the making could grind to a halt. New projects won’t even get off the ground. Appalachia already lags behind in nearly every economic and health indicator. Without the ARC, the gap between this region and the rest of the country could grow wider than ever before.

This kind of defunding isn’t just a budget cut. It’s a rollback of decades of progress.

Why Isn’t Anyone Talking About This

Despite the scale of the potential damage, the ARC’s budget slash has received minimal attention. Appalachia has always struggled to command national focus. Its poverty is chronic but quiet. Its communities are proud and often overlooked. The ARC doesn’t generate headlines or scandals. It just does the work.

This isn’t the first time the ARC has been targeted. During his first presidency, Trump attempted to eliminate its funding multiple times. Each time, bipartisan pushback in Congress restored the budget. But with the current political environment more divided and chaotic than ever, there’s no guarantee that will happen again.

The silence is deafening. If a similar cut were proposed for a coastal tech hub or a major urban transit system, it would dominate the news cycle. But a small agency serving rural communities in the mountains? It barely makes a ripple.

What’s at Stake

The ARC has never been a bloated bureaucracy. It has always operated on a lean budget and produced tangible results. Its programs help lift families out of poverty, revive local economies, and bring essential services to places that private industry often ignores.

Cutting its funding is not just a matter of cost. It’s a matter of commitment. Do we believe that all regions deserve opportunity and dignity, or only those with money and political clout

If this cut goes through, the damage won’t be instant, but it will be long lasting. Roads won’t get repaired. Clinics won’t open. Training programs will shut down. The very future of many Appalachian communities will be in jeopardy.

What Can Be Done

Congress ultimately controls the federal budget. In past years, lawmakers from both parties have stepped in to protect the ARC. But with attention spread thin and other battles taking center stage, that kind of intervention is far from guaranteed this time around.

People in the region and beyond must raise their voices. Appalachia deserves more than to be treated as a line item. It deserves the same investment, care, and vision given to every other part of the country.

The ARC is not just a government agency and if we allow it to be dismantled quietly, we are sending a clear message about who and what this country values.

And that message would echo for generations.

-Tim Carmichael