As you may have seen, it's been a busy week on the Rural Tour. Secretary Vilsack visited Wisconsin last Thursday, Virginia on Saturday, and yesterday met with three other members of the Obama cabinet in St. John's Parish, Louisiana to discuss a broad range of issues facing rural America.
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Veterans' Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki joined Vilsack at an Army National Guard drill hall so packed with interested Louisianans, staff had to find more and more chairs leading up to the moment the event began.
The large crowd led to big lines to ask questions of the officials about a range of issues. Questions were focused largely on the need for health care reform, but also addressing housing costs, homeownership, and a variety of other issues facing Louisiana families. Because time didn't allow for every question, Sen. Mary Landrieu (also in attendance at the event) promised a follow-up forum to keep the discussion going.
The Rural Tour will continue on August 12, when Vilsack joins four other Cabinet members in traveling to Bethel, Alaska, where they'll focus on green jobs, a new energy economy, and climate change. Until then, you can stay tuned for updates at the Rural Tour Twitter Feed.
