Political Quotes

“I thank the chairman for his leadership on this very, very important piece of legislation. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will make critical investments, not just in roads and bridges. This legislation will also invest in transit, rail, electric vehicle charging stations, electric buses, airports, ports, water, energy, environmental remediation, and high-speed broadband internet. I will focus on this last category, the $65 billion for broadband. Millions of Americans are not connected to the internet. In my home State of South Carolina, nearly 1 in 10 households lack access to an internet connection, and even more cannot afford service. As a result, they cannot work remotely, cannot learn remotely, and cannot access telehealth. The internet is as essential to the 21st century as electricity was to the 20th century, and far too many Americans are left out. That is why I worked closely with the House Rural Broadband Task Force, Chairman Pallone, and members of the Energy and Commerce Committee to craft comprehensive legislation to make high-speed broadband accessible and affordable for all. Our bill passed the House last Congress as part of the Moving Forward Act. While the legislation we are considering today doesn't include that bill in its entirety, and more action will be required, it does incorporate many of our bill's essential principles.…”