US Senate
Senators Barrasso and Lujan Lead Bipartisan Letter to Expand High-Speed Internet Access in Rural Communities
US Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) led their Senate colleagues in a bipartisan letter to the Secretaries of the Departments of Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce about the need to expand high-speed internet access in rural communities. Internet providers are required to obtain permits from the federal government when installing telecommunications infrastructure on federal lands or for projects using federal funding. Right now, they face extensive delays in the permitting process.
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Access to Rural Broadband
Sens. John Thune (R-SD), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Deb Fischer (R-NE) introduced the Rural Internet Improvement Act. This bipartisan legislation would streamline and bolster US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development broadband programs and ensure that their funding is being targeted to rural areas that need it the most. The legislation would:
Sen Markey and Rep Eshoo Introduce the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act (CTVA)
Senator Edward Markey (D-MA), author of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), and Representative Anna G. Eshoo (D- CA-18) introduced the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act (CVTA).
Senator Murphy (D-CT) Requests Review of Foreign Stake in Acquisition of Twitter, Inc.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) sent a letter to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) requesting an immediate investigation into the potential national security concerns arising from the recent takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk and a number of foreign private investors, including members of the Saudi Arabian royal family and the kingdom of Qatar. Senator Murphy called attention to Saudi Arabia’s repression of free speech and political dissent inside and outside of the Kingdom’s borders, including the brutal murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Sens Baldwin, Thune Lead a Dozen Bipartisan Colleagues in Pushing the FCC to Increase Speed and Expand Access to Broadband
US Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and John Thune (R-SD) led a bipartisan group of colleagues in pushing Federal Communications Commission to take action to increase broadband speed requirements in its existing Universal Service Fund programs so that Americans, particularly in rural and underserved areas, have access to the download and upload speeds necessary to participate in telehealth, telework, and remote learning. The FCC is considering proposals to update two programs – the Alternative Connect American Cost Model (ACAM) and Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF-BLS) – that h
Facilitating Fraud: How Consumers Defrauded on Zelle are Left High and Dry by the Banks that Created It (US Senate)
Submitted by dclay@benton.org on Wed, 10/05/2022 - 11:28
Sens Warner, Moran Introduce Legislation to Prevent Taxation of Broadband Grants
Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS)—joined by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)—introduced the Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act (BGTTA).
Lawmakers Introduce the Digital Equity Foundation Act to Increase Digital Equity, Inclusion, and Literacy
Sen Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Rep Doris Matsui (D-CA) led Sens Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) to introduce the Digital Equity Foundation Act, legislation to establish a nonprofit foundation to leverage public and private investments to make progress closing the divide on digital equity, digital inclusion, and digital literacy.

Sen Bennet highlights bipartisan efforts to close the digital divide
At the annual National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) conference in Denver, Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) highlighted the progress Congress has made to expand access to high-speed, affordable broadband and close the digital divide. In 2021, Sen. Bennet introduced the bipartisan Broadband Reform and Investment to Drive Growth in the Economy (BRIDGE) Act with Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Angus King (I-MA), which was incorporated into the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to make the single largest investment in broadband in history.