House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott today delivered the following statement at a full Committee hearing entitled, “Closing the Digital Divide in Rural America” Watch the full hearing here.
[As prepared for delivery]
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening today’s hearing. Expanding high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband access in rural America is a top priority of mine in this farm bill. I appreciate the opportunity to once again join forces with you, Chairman Thompson, to highlight its importance and chart a path to bring high-quality internet service to every part of rural America.
High-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband is something most of us here count on daily to stay in touch with loved ones, conduct business, schedule appointments, make purchases, and to stay informed. Beyond day-to-day uses, broadband has the potential to address other long-standing inequities through expanding access to healthcare, educational, and workforce development opportunities. Broadband has become an integral part of our daily lives, but there are too many areas in rural America that go without.
USDA has a long history of serving rural America through ensuring they have access to the resources and investments necessary to support modern infrastructure going back to 1935 when the Rural Electrification Administration was created under the Department of Agriculture to bring electricity to rural areas. The REA now operates under the Rural Utility Service moniker, reflecting that the agency provides an array of loans, grants, and loan guarantees to deliver broadband in addition to electricity and drinking water to rural communities.
Since its enactment just before the 2018 Farm Bill, the ReConnect program administered by USDA has delivered a total of $3.86 billion to create or improve high-speed internet access to rural customers. As the primary program used to deliver broadband funding to rural America, I look forward to working with my House and Senate Agriculture Committee colleagues to codify and provide permanence for this program through the upcoming 2023 Farm Bill.
As we consider changes to broadband programs in the 2023 Farm Bill, it is my priority to ensure that these programs support delivery of high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband that can support modern uses such as telehealth, precision agriculture, distance learning or remote work opportunities, as well as many potential future uses not yet imagined. To ensure responsible and effective use of the historic federal investments in broadband, any investments made must support future-proof and scalable broadband networks. That means establishing progressive standards for speed, as well as including considerations for the affordability of broadband service and overall network capacity.
Finally, I’d like to discuss Federal agency coordination. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill signed into law provided $65 billion for broadband, with the bulk of that going to NTIA’s bead program. As implementation of that program is ongoing, it’s of utmost importance that any federal agencies working to expand broadband coverage establish open lines of communication and continue to coordinate resources and projects. As the only Federal agency with the sole mission to serve rural America, USDA Rural Development must take a leading role in expanding high-speed internet to each and every rural community.
I look forward to hearing from the distinguished panel of witnesses that sits before us today on these issues and any other thoughts you all may have to improve USDA broadband programs and deliver high-quality broadband to rural communities.
