House of Representatives

Rep Harris Asks NTIA to Reconsider Letter of Credit Requirements for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Broadband Programs

Rep Andy Harris (R-MD) recently sent a letter to US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo regarding the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) requirements for its Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) broadband programs. Specifically, the September 14, 2022 letter expresses concerns about the Letter of Credit (L/C) requirement included in the NTIA's Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program and the Enabling Middle Mile (MM) Broadband Infrastructure Program.

House Lawmakers Urge Biden Administration to Co-Locate Broadband and EV Charging Infrastructure

Reps Anna G Eshoo (D-CA) and Doris Matsui (D-CA) led a letter to Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Secretary Jennifer Granholm, and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information at the National Telecommunications and Information (NTIA) Alan Davidson, urging them to use funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to build out broadband and electric vehicle charging infrastructure simultaneously.

House Commerce Committee Passes Consumer Protection Bills

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce passed six consumer protection bills during a full Committee markup on July 20, 2022. Among these are:

US House Unanimously Passes Bill to Provide Refurbished Government Computers to US Veterans

The House of Representatives unanimously passed Rep Abigail Spanberger (D-VA)’s bipartisan bill that would help provide surplus computers to nonprofit computer refurbishers — who would then repair and distribute these federal computers to veterans and others in need. Spanberger’s Computers for Veterans and Students Act would allow certified, nonprofit refurbishing organizations to directly obtain, refurbish, and distribute repairable, surplus government computers to serve veterans, students, and seniors in need of a device.