Rural Broadband in the House

House Democratic leaders are set to roll out infrastructure legislation following the Martin Luther King Jr. Day recess. The legislation will likely feature provisions aimed at closing the digital divide, putting the issue of broadband internet access front and center ahead of the 2020 elections. The all-Democrat Rural Broadband Task Force, formed in 2019 and led by Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC), has been working closely with the Speaker’s office and the Energy and Commerce Committee on the development of the task force’s bill and discussing its possible inclusion, in whole or in part, in a broader infrastructure package. There is wide agreement across the Democratic Caucus that significant investment in broadband is necessary so that all Americans can affordably access high-speed internet, which is a necessity in the 21st century information economy.

House Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) is also plugged into the multi-committee process behind developing this infrastructure package and “looks forward to unveiling the proposal soon,” a spokesman confirmed. Chairman Pallone in May 2019 unveiled his own infrastructure bill, called the LIFT America Act, H.R. 2741, which would allocate $40 billion in broadband investment, but it was never marked up. The Trump administration so far has “not come on board,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). “However, we’ve decided that now we’ll just have to go forward.”