Trump’s Thank You to Appalachian Ohio Is a 93% Budget Slash

Trump Budget Targets Appalachian Funding

Ohio’s Appalachian counties went hard for Trump in 2024.

All 32 of them except Athens voted Republican, and many swung even further right than they had four years earlier.

Now those same voters are watching a proposal from the president they supported that would gut the federal program their communities depend on.

The Appalachian Regional Commission has sent millions to Ohio for clean water, broadband, and job training since 1965. The 2026 budget would cut it by 93%.

What happens next will determine whether decades of investment continue or disappear.

93% Cut Would Slash ARC to $14 Million

President Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal would reduce funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission from $200 million to just $14 million.

The proposal, released in late May 2025, triggered immediate pushback from local officials, businesses, and nonprofits across the 13-state region.

More than 80 organizations signed a letter urging Congress to reject the cuts and maintain previous funding levels.

The ARC has operated as a federal-state partnership for 60 years, and this would be the largest reduction in its history.

Appalachian Ohio Shifted Further Right in 2024

In the November 2024 election, Ohio’s Appalachian counties moved even more Republican than the rest of the state. Only Athens County, home to Ohio University, voted for Kamala Harris.

Trump won Ohio by 11 points overall, his widest margin since Ronald Reagan in 1984. Mahoning County shifted rightward by 7 points, the largest swing in Ohio.

Economic concerns topped voter priorities, with cost of living and inflation driving turnout in rural and suburban areas.

Ohio Loses Twice Because It Matches Federal Dollars

Ohio is the only state in the 13-state ARC region that matches the federal allocation with its own state funds.

The Governor’s Office of Appalachia was created in 1986 specifically to enhance federal investments with matching state dollars. When federal funding disappears, Ohio doesn’t just lose Washington’s contribution.

The state matching funds tied to those federal grants also vanish, doubling the impact on local project budgets that were counting on both sources.

Ohio Got $19 Million in 2024 Alone

In fiscal year 2024, Ohio’s partnership with the ARC delivered $12.5 million for infrastructure projects including affordable broadband, clean water systems, updated wastewater treatment, and highway improvements.

Another $6.8 million went toward workforce development programs designed to help Appalachians find jobs, stay employed, and advance their careers. These investments were matched by $89.4 million from other sources and attracted an additional $9. 1 million in private investment.

Three Counties Are Economically Distressed

Scioto, Athens, and Noble counties carry the ARC’s “distressed” designation, meaning they rank among the most economically struggling areas in the entire Appalachian region.

Another 15 Ohio counties are classified as “at-risk,” including Highland, Adams, Pike, Vinton, Jackson, Lawrence, Gallia, Morgan, Monroe, Guernsey, Coshocton, Jefferson, Mahoning, Trumbull, and Ashtabula.

These classifications determine how much federal support counties can receive and what matching requirements apply.

Poverty and Income Gaps Persist in the Region

More than 14% of Appalachian residents live in poverty or deep poverty.

Median household income across the region sits just under $65,000, which is $14,000 less than the national average.

The population is also aging faster than the rest of the country, with one in five Appalachian residents now 65 or older.

Educational attainment lags too, with only about 29% of adults holding a bachelor’s degree compared to higher rates nationwide.

Broadband and Water Projects Hang in Limbo

ARC funding has supported critical infrastructure that rural communities struggle to finance on their own. Broadband deployment has connected remote areas to high-speed internet.

Water and wastewater system upgrades have replaced aging infrastructure that threatened public health. Highway improvements have linked isolated communities to regional markets.

Without continued federal investment, many of these projects would stall or never break ground.

Local Mayor Calls ARC Essential for Survival

Gary Goosman, mayor of Amesville in Athens County, said the ARC is a critical organization for Appalachian Ohio.

He emphasized that funding for infrastructure, broadband, and informational services is key to his community’s success.

Similar statements came from officials across the region, with many noting that the ARC is one of the few federal agencies specifically designed to address Appalachian problems with solutions that actually work for local communities.

LBJ Started the ARC During the War on Poverty

President Lyndon Johnson signed the Appalachian Regional Development Act on March 9, 1965, creating the ARC as part of his broader War on Poverty. At the time, one in three Appalachians lived in poverty.

President John F. Kennedy had seen the region’s despair firsthand during his 1960 campaign in West Virginia and formed the President’s Appalachian Regional Commission to develop solutions.

After Kennedy’s assassination, Johnson transformed those recommendations into legislation that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

Six Decades of Investment Transformed the Region

Since 1965, the ARC has invested more than $6 billion in over 34,000 economic development projects across Appalachia. Poverty rates in the region have fallen by roughly half since the commission’s founding.

Early investments focused on building 3,090 miles of the Appalachian Development Highway System to connect isolated communities with national markets.

More recent programs have shifted toward workforce training, substance abuse recovery support, and broadband deployment.

Trump Voters Now Wait on Congress to Decide

Ohio’s Appalachian communities delivered strong margins for Trump in 2024, driven by economic anxieties and promises of job creation.

Now those same voters face the possibility that their president’s budget will eliminate the federal program that has supported their communities for 60 years.

Congress had a September 30 deadline to finalize discretionary funding.

Whether lawmakers reject the 93% cut or let it stand will determine whether the region that helped power Trump’s Ohio victory keeps the investment it needs.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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