US Senate

The Office of US Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) hosted Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Albuquerque for a roundtable discussion with the Connect New Mexico Council on investments for broadband and telecommunications made possible by the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Senator Luján fought to expand the Affordable Connectivity Benefit which makes broadband more affordable for 785,000 New Mexicans, in addition to at least $100 million that New Mexico is expected to receive for broadband buildout.

Sen Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced the Broadband Buildout Accountability Act with Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) to increase transparency for a $42 billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Package (BIF) broadband buildout grant awarded to the National Technology Information Administration (NTIA), which is currently exempted from transparency requirements under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Sens John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced the Network Equipment Transparency (NET) Act (S.3692), a bipartisan bill to increase broadband supply chain transparency in order to ensure an on-time rollout of the broadband programs managed by the Federal Communications Commission. Broadband infrastructure projects have been affected by supply chain woes in the past.

Sens Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Kids Online Safety Act, comprehensive bipartisan legislation to enhance children’s safety online. The Kids Online Safety Act:

Sens Edward Markey (D-MA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission expressing support for the agency’s recent notice of proposed rulemaking to enhance the resiliency of communications networks during emergency situations. Strong action by the FCC is necessary to address the growing threats to communications networks created by extreme weather, natural disasters, including wildfires, and climate change-related events, which are increasingly causing more frequent and severe service disruptions.

In a letter on broadband deployment to Mitch Landrieu, Senior Advisor to President Joseph Biden for Infrastructure Coordination, Sen Roger Wicker (R-MS) urged the Administration to address challenges surrounding access to rights of way and poles, historic and environmental reviews, and approval of a variety of applications and permits. A streamlined permitting and approval process would certainly expedite deployment of broadband.

US Sens John Thune (R-SD), Tina Smith (D-MN), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the Connect Unserved Americans Act. This bipartisan legislation would ensure that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) targets funding through the ReConnect Program to areas most in need of reliable broadband services.