Updates on Executive Order—Helping Left-Behind Communities Make a Comeback

• January 19, 2025: The President signed the Executive Order, outlining a "whole-of-government" approach to support local and Tribal leaders. The order focuses on place-based development in "covered communities"—a designation including economically distressed regions, persistent poverty areas, Community Disaster Resiliency Zones, and regions served by programs like the NSF Regional Innovation Engines. It directs the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, to coordinate federal investments with implementing agencies and complete key coordination tasks within one year. While the order aims to streamline resource access, external analysis has noted potential challenges such as broad community definitions and bureaucratic hurdles. (Source: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/375865)
• January 24, 2025: The Executive Order was published in the Federal Register alongside a White House fact sheet, "The Biden-Harris Administration Cements Legacy of Helping Left-Behind Communities." This document highlights infrastructure and workforce investments intended to drive economic revitalization. (Sources: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/24/2025-01758/helping-left-behind-communities-make-a-comeback; https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-administration-cements-legacy-helping-left-behind-communities)