Lois Capps: “I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today also in support of H.R. 1343. This legislation…”

“I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today also in support of H.R. 1343. This legislation directs the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Agriculture Department's Rural Utility Service to do what they are already, to a great degree, doing--returning deobligated broadband Recovery Act funds to the U.S. Treasury. As Mr. Walden just said, H.R. 1343 was reported by the Energy and Commerce Committee with broad bipartisan support, and we should always take every step possible to improve oversight and ensure that U.S. tax dollars are spent wisely. So that is a good reason to support this bill, but I think it's also important today not to lose sight of the fact that the Recovery Act has been a true success for broadband deployment. The $7 billion in allocated broadband spending is bringing real economic, educational, and civic benefits to communities throughout the country. It's bridging the middle-mile gap, bringing high-speed Internet to small businesses and rural entrepreneurs. For businesses to grow, they need to expand their markets and enhance their realtime capabilities. Broadband enables these successes. Broadband also connects patients with health care specialists thousands of miles away, and it enables doctors to monitor the vital signs of a heart patient while the patient sits at home.…”