Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3293, Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act. This legislation establishes an interagency strike force to help prioritize permitting reviews for deploying broadband on Federal lands. Broadband has become an essential part of everyday life. As we have seen, we need broadband for work, to stay connected with loved ones, and even for healthcare and education. Too many Americans still lack access to broadband. Thus, Congress has provided billions of dollars to ensure that every American gets connected. Deploying on Federal lands is a critical part of closing the digital divide. Many unserved communities are near Federal lands and thus broadband providers must traverse these lands to reach these unserved homes and businesses. Unfortunately, deploying broadband on Federal lands can be burdensome, particularly when it comes to the permitting process. Providers have testified that this complicated process moves slowly, and they are left in the dark on the status of their applications. As a result, unserved communities are left without the broadband they need as providers wait for agencies to approve their permits. We need to reform the broadband permitting process. Not only do we need to streamline how we review permits, we also need to ensure that agencies that manage Federal lands prioritize these reviews. H.R.…”