As Congress argues over farm subsidies and food stamps, rural Americans complain that elected officials ignore small communities and fail to invest in their future.

WASHINGTON (EPA) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released on June 17 its most comprehensive review to date on how the built environment – the way we build our cities and towns – directly affects our environment and public health. The report was announced by EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe during a national Twitter Town Hall meeting in Washington, D.C., with Maurice Jones, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing, and Development (HUD), and John Porcari, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).