I would hope that would be a priority for the Administration, and I hope that we would do that in a bipartisan way.

The impact that high-speed broadband can have on economic development in rural areas... cannot be overstated.

We, in Congress, must ensure that any digital divide that exists between urban and rural areas is effectively bridged, and that all Americans have the tools necessary to take full advantage of our broadband economy.

Congress must take notice of the changing landscape for facilities-based operators because when a small cable system serving a rural area shuts down, it not only results in the loss of multichannel video service, including local TV…

This is actually the first in a series of hearings that we intend to hold on the state of the communications in the United States.

It is important for the government to do this and important for us to have that oversight.

So, in terms of the GAO recommendations, are you halfway through? Are you three-quarters of the way through? Have you implemented all of them?

Six Committees? No wonder you never come to Homeland Security.

And is that the kind of thing where you get the GAO report and then you just go to work implementing it, or is there contact with GAO about how they think you should do it?

I think we have about 400,000 Arkansans who do not have access to rural broadband.

Thank you all for your leadership on this.