‘Outraged’ Democrat Sen. Rosen Retaliates Against Lutnick over New BEAD Rules, Nevada's Rescinded Approval

Sen Jacky Rosen (D-NV) said she plans to slow-walk Commerce Department nominees that oversee broadband in response to the agency rescinding approval of her state’s $416 million broadband expansion plan. The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration under Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick released its revised rules for the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program. The new policy rescinded Biden-era approval of final spending plans from the three states that had received it, including Nevada, and will require all states and territories to conduct an additional round of bidding. “I’m beyond outraged that the Trump Administration has moved the goal post yet again and rescinded Nevada’s approval to get the BEAD funding I secured to connect the hardest-to-reach communities in our state to high-speed internet,” Sen Rosen said in a statement. “This decision will put Nevada’s broadband funding in jeopardy, and it’s a slap in the face to rural communities that need access to high-speed internet. I’m going to put a hold on all nominations for Commerce Department positions that oversee or deal with broadband policy in any way, and block their expedited confirmation, until Nevada gets its BEAD funding.”