Bipartisan lawmakers call for broadband expansion to eliminate inequities

Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) called for bridging the digital divide to help stimulate employment and workplace equity. They both pushed for congressional passage of infrastructure packages that would increase broadband access to rural and urban areas across the country. Data maps inaccurately portray parts of the U.S. as having broadband access, making it difficult for lawmakers to know which areas need more attention, said Rep Brooks. Rep Blunt Rochester noted there is bipartisan support for infrastructure legislation that would eliminate disparities. “Even when people of color have the same skills, we still see inequities,” she said.