Sam Graves: “I continue to reserve the balance of my time. Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from…”

“I continue to reserve the balance of my time. Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. McNerney). Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, the number of people in this country without broadband is outrageous. Being on the wrong side of the digital divide has a devastating impact on so many people in our society, including students who need to complete homework; veterans and seniors who need telehealth services; individuals trying to start a business, applying for a job, or teleworking, or keeping up with the news or loved ones. This pandemic has shined a bright light on the connectivity issues and disparities in this country. Mr. Speaker, 34 percent of my constituents don't have broadband service at home. This is due to gaps in broadband deployment and also because many face adoption barriers. People simply can't afford service. I am proud that H.R. 2 includes the Digital Equity Act, which I authored with Representatives Lujan and Clarke. It provides critical funding to close gaps in broadband adoption and promote digital literacy. We are long overdue for ensuring that every American is connected to broadband, but we have an opportunity to rise up to this challenge and address this issue by voting ``yes'' on H.R. 2.”