Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3343, the Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act. This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to develop a plan for tracking the broadband permitting applications on Federal lands. Broadband is essential to participate in everyday activities. Americans rely on their internet for their work, healthcare, education, and more. Congress has provided billions of dollars to close the digital divide. The NTIA is in the process of administering the $42.45 billion BEAD program and must ensure that these dollars are spent wisely. Too often, broadband deployment is delayed or prevented due to unnecessary red tape in the form of burdensome permitting requirements. Federal agencies are some of the biggest culprits behind the red tape, delaying the deployment of broadband to the communities that are in need. The process of application approval for some of these permits has unfortunately become duplicative, ineffective, and time consuming. Worse, there is no transparency in the process. Opaque Federal permitting review processes leave applicants in the dark on whether their application is complete, where it is in the review process, and when they can finally expect a decision.…”