[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 157 (Monday, October 2, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6244-S6245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Las Vegas Mass Shooting

  Mrs. CAPITO. Madam President, I come here today to talk about the 
nomination of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, but before I begin, I think all of 
us have incredibly heavy hearts in our homes, in our States, in the 
country, and in the world, as the horrifying events of Las Vegas really 
begin to sink in.
  I just saw an article come across the news line in my home State of 
West Virginia with one of the first identifications of the victims. Her 
name was Denise Burditus. She is from Martinsburg, WV. She and her 
husband Tony were at the concert together. They have been married 32 
years. They were high school sweethearts and were there vacationing and 
at the concert. Tony wrote on his Facebook page that his wife died in 
his arms. So we have lost a mother of two, and soon to be a grandmother 
of five, to this horrible tragedy. My heart sinks for them and for 
everyone. I really don't have the words to say to comfort or explain or 
understand, except that I feel deeply sad and sorry, and I pray for 
them and their families.
  Today, Madam President, I want to talk about the nomination and 
reappointment of Ajit Pai as the Chairman of the Federal Communications 
Commission. Chairman Pai has been an important partner in my quest to 
bring rural America and much of my State online. I was very lucky to 
meet Chairman Pai several years ago. Without question, he has been a 
champion.
  Without question, high-speed internet access has allowed us to 
connect with one another on a scale we never could have imagined a 
decade ago. No other technology has become so critical to our daily 
lives. It is the backbone for our innovation, competition, and economic 
growth. From starting a business to digital learning and telemedicine, 
broadband access is critical to the strength of our economy and our 
communities. Unfortunately, for all the potential opportunities that 
broadband can offer, not having access to this important service can 
create insurmountable barriers.
  Better connecting States like mine--West Virginia--through improved 
broadband has become one of my top priorities. Without this, our rural 
areas risk being left behind. The digital divide exists in this 
country, and rural Americans are the ones who are on the wrong side of 
the divide. Small communities and businesses across West Virginia and 
elsewhere in rural America lack this fundamental infrastructure.
  No one understands these issues more than Ajit Pai. Chairman Pai grew 
up in rural Kansas. He told me that sometimes when he goes home to 
visit his parents, he cannot get connected in his own hometown. He 
knows the challenges facing rural communities.

[[Page S6245]]

  I have had the pleasure of hosting Chairman Pai and his staff 
multiple times in West Virginia. Most recently, Chairman Pai came to 
Wardensville in Hardy County, WV, where we have good connectivity and 
where we have actually been able to create new businesses and 
opportunities for a small town such as Wardensville. Following our 
visit, we traveled just 20, 30 miles over to Hampshire County, where 
getting high-speed internet has been far more challenging. There, 
Chairman Pai met Eric Hott of Kirby, WV, who has a small chocolate 
business. Eric is having trouble following up with orders and 
attracting new customers because he can't get consistent broadband 
access.
  Last August, I held a roundtable discussion with Chairman Pai in 
Fayette County, WV, focusing on the digital divide and the impacts on 
tourism. We visited Adventures on the Gorge. I even convinced him to 
join me on a bridge walk across the beautiful New River Gorge. This 
outdoor recreation destination is one of West Virginia's most beautiful 
and premier tourist destinations, but the small businesses there are 
hampered by the lack of connectivity.
  We heard firsthand from business owners who can't grow their business 
because of poor internet connectivity. It is hard to attract a talented 
workforce to live and visit in these more rural parts of our States. A 
local restaurant owner shared their difficulty in notifying customers 
of available tables through their online system. They lost business 
because of this.
  During each of the Chairman's visits, we discussed possible solutions 
to promote greater access and competition. Chairman Pai is a great 
listener. He listens to what the issues are, and those include reducing 
barriers to investment, streamlining the regulatory environment, 
encouraging public-private partnerships, and ensuring accountability on 
behalf of the taxpayer.
  Following his tour across the country, during which he stopped in 
West Virginia, Chairman Pai proposed a digital empowerment agenda right 
down the alley of the issues we just talked about--to grant Americans 
living in communities of all sizes, from urban cores to smaller, rural 
towns, with these online opportunities. Chairman Pai's agenda 
highlighted a variety of specific measures the FCC, Congress, and State 
and local governments could make to simplify broadband deployment.
  Broadband access will be the result of partnerships between private, 
local, State, and Federal agencies and organizations. We need to have 
this collaboration to eliminate duplicative and outdated programs so 
that States like mine can efficiently deliver broadband to our rural 
communities efficiently and cost-effectively.
  By listening to communities like ours--and remember, I said Chairman 
Pai is a great listener--the Chairman has built a plan for achieving 
widespread broadband access that meets the unique demands of our rural 
communities.
  The FCC plays an imperative role in addressing these issues in large 
and small States, particularly rural States like mine.
  In the 21st-century economy, robust telecommunication networks are 
increasingly important for today's users and the foundation of future 
innovations.
  Under his leadership at the FCC, he has already taken steps toward 
modernizing the Commission's role and promoting digital empowerment. 
Since the beginning of his tenure, the Commission has hit the ground 
running, enacting a broad strategic vision to close the digital divide, 
to modernize the Commission's rules, promote innovation, protect 
consumer and public safety, and improve the Commission's daily 
operations.
  Under Chairman Pai's leadership, the Commission has made significant 
investments to deliver broadband service to underserved and unserved 
areas of the country. I am confident that rural America will see more 
progress with his continued leadership, and today I am very proud to 
support his renomination to the FCC as he ascends and retakes the 
chairmanship of a very important part of our communications and 
telecommunications network.
  With that, I yield back.
  Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. WARREN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.