ACCESS BROADBAND Act

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 3994, the Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, Opportunities, Access, and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand Act, or in short, ACCESS BROADBAND Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair and ranking member for moving this measure forward, and offer special thanks to my friend, Representative Lance, for partnering with me on this legislation. I also thank the bipartisan group of Members who have cosponsored this legislation, including 14 members of the Energy and Commerce Committee who have worked together and who agree that these are vital steps worth taking.

This bill is about serving the people. My own constituents continue to reach out about their limitations of access to broadband internet throughout the capital region. Some of these areas are rural and many are underserved and unserved entirely.

Other areas are underserved with a few houses having access, while many others are left with no affordable options in sight.

Constituents ask: When will we get access? What about western Schenectady County? What about Amsterdam? What about Berne? What about Fort Johnson? What about western Saratoga County in the 20th Congressional District?

I have heard from doctors who depend on broadband internet to read X- rays when they are on call. I hear from librarians who find students sitting in the library parking lot after hours so that they can access the internet and finish their homework assignments. I hear from workers who are forced to leave home to find high enough internet speed that they can upload or download large files. They all ask: When will we have access?

As a Congress, we owe these folk an answer. A lack of access to broadband internet in the capital region is one of many reasons I pushed to join the Energy and Commerce Committee and

why I have worked to advance this legislation.

This bill is the first part of that answer. H.R. 3994, the Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, Opportunities, Access, and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand Act, the ACCESS BROADBAND Act, would establish a coordinating office for Federal broadband resources.

It would use existing resources to streamline management of Federal broadband resources across multiple agencies and simplify the process for small businesses and local economic developers to access them.

Currently, there is no comprehensive system that tracks where Federal dollars are going and how the funding is impacting communities. Investments are made with little accountability and oversight on behalf of the taxpayer.

ACCESS BROADBAND, as an act, would begin to address the issues. This bill would track Federal broadband dollars and streamline management of Federal broadband resources across multiple agencies. Most notably, it would simplify the process for small businesses and local economic developers to access them.

There is still much more work to be done on this issue. I do hope that this can serve as a starting place for us to open doors of opportunity and access for the millions of Americans who require the better and improved outcomes by investing in broadband expansion.

I thank all of the members and staff working together on ACCESS BROADBAND, helping ensure that our communities can access the broadband resources they need to grow and to prosper.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers on my side. If the other side is ready to close, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3994) to establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the ACCESS BROADBAND Act, which Congressman Tonko and I introduced last year. This bill would streamline the Federal grant programs related to broadband deployment, and track how Federal funds are used to a greater extent than is now the case. I thank Congressman Tonko for his leadership on this important issue.

Broadband internet is the lifeblood of the American economy, a critical tool for students, and an incubator for the next great innovation. This bill takes the right steps to ensure Federal broadband resources are working to expand access in underserved areas.

Being able to have access to the internet means being able to unlock tremendous potential, and we have to make sure that all Americans share in this success. Many local economies are relying on Congress to get this right.

In many areas of the country, the cost to deploy broadband infrastructure is prohibitive, which creates a need for Federal funding in cases where a market solution is not possible.

With several different broadband support programs across several Federal agencies, there is no single, comprehensive system tracking where and how Federal funds are being spent.

Access broadband creates an office within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, with the task of simplifying the application process for the various support programs, coordinating between the various agencies, and tracking the use and effectiveness of Federal broadband funding.

By ensuring coordination, the office will help prevent overbuilding of broadband and make sure Federal funds are going where they are needed most, which should be unserved and underserved areas of the country.

This bill and the other bills we have been considering reflect the broad and encompassing jurisdiction of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the important day-to-day work and oversight we maintain over a significant portion of the Federal Government.

This type of work counts and these bills are important. Energy and Commerce accomplishments like reauthorizing the successful CHIP program, the Ray Baums Act, safely disposing of nuclear waste, and improving consumer protections, have been the pillars of our accomplishments this Congress, and this has occurred in a bipartisan capacity.

Bills like the ones we are considering today, keep the wheels of many critical government functions moving. The ACCESS BROADBAND bill is excellent legislation and will improve broadband for many Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), who is a member of our committee.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my colleague's bill, the ACCESS BROADBAND Act.

Mr. Tonko's legislation would move to establish an office of Internet Connectivity and Growth at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to coordinate and track Federal funding for broadband across every agency.

This is important because the Federal Government's grant system can oftentimes be confusing and disjointed, making it difficult for communities and organizations to find grants they may be eligible for. As a result, they may be losing out on opportunities, especially when it comes to broadband needs.

Our rural communities continue to struggle, and one area that has been proven to be a boon is access to high-speed internet. By encompassing all of these grants into one area, we can help assist communities and organizations across the country in their search for Federal grant funding.

Access to broadband is a recipe for growth, allowing people to take and create new opportunities that may not have been there before. That is why I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.