[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 149 (Tuesday, September 24, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6341-S6342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               Broadband

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, as a Senator from a rural State and a 
former chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
Committee, expanding broadband access to rural areas has long been a 
priority of mine. I have done a lot of work on this issue, which is 
precisely why I was so concerned when the infrastructure bill proposed 
$42 billion for rural broadband to be funneled through the Commerce 
Department's National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration, or NTIA.
  I was doubtful whether NTIA was capable of administering $42 billion, 
given its previous struggles to administer a fraction of that amount of 
money. And, unfortunately, those concerns have turned out to be well-
founded.
  The Biden-Harris administration's signature broadband initiative and 
Vice President Harris's tenure as broadband czar have been nothing 
short of a disaster. It has been nearly 3 years since the $42 billion 
Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, or what we call the BEAD 
program, was established at the National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration to provide broadband access to unserved 
communities. Three years. And in all that time, the program has not 
connected a single household to the internet.
  Let me say that again. It has been nearly 3 years--and to be precise, 
1,044 days--since the BEAD program was established. And in all of that 
time--over 1,000 days--the program has not connected a single household 
to the internet. A logical question would be: Why? Please, tell us why?
  Well, it is a story--a sad story--of government inefficiency and 
progressivism run amok. Instead of focusing on delivering broadband 
services to unserved areas, the Biden-Harris administration loaded down 
the BEAD program with a liberal wish list of requirements that were 
never envisioned by Congress and have obstructed broadband deployment: 
climate change mandates, prioritizing government-owned networks over 
private investment, biased technology mandates, prioritizing the use of 
union labor, attempts to impose price controls in direct violation of 
the law, DEI hiring priorities.
  What should have been a straightforward application and approval 
process for building networks has become a literal morass. Why, oh why, 
Mr. President, should rural telecoms in South Dakota be talking about 
climate change mandates in building out broadband networks to serve 
underserved people in rural areas of the country?
  As if the list of woke requirements weren't enough, it has been 
matched by massive inefficiency from the administration.
  One State official who recently testified before the Energy and 
Commerce Committee in the House had this to say about the program's 
implementation:


[[Page S6342]]


  

       States face a common issue--navigating the complex BEAD 
     process. NTIA's functional requests are akin to building a 
     plane while flying it without having the necessary 
     instructions to be successful. NTIA has provided either no 
     guidance, guidance given too late, or guidance changing 
     midstream, all with a lack of appreciation for State 
     operations and costs and the needs of our telecommunications 
     providers.

  Another official from another State described BEAD as--and I quote 
again--``the most burdensome Federal program'' she has ever imagined. 
The most burdensome Federal program she has ever imagined. And worse 
yet, ever had to manage.
  Given all this, I suppose it is no surprise that not only has 
broadband not reached even one household through the BEAD program, but 
construction projects haven't even begun. Current expectations for the 
start of construction on various BEAD projects range from sometime next 
year to sometime in 2026--2026. We are already at 1,044 days since this 
program was enacted. Not a single dollar has been allocated out of the 
$42 billion.
  Well, if this is what things look like with Vice President Harris as 
broadband czar, I shudder to think what things would look like if she 
were in charge of the entire Federal Government.
  This isn't the first time I sounded the alarm on the implementation 
of the BEAD program and the burdensome and extra legal requirements the 
Biden administration--the Biden-Harris administration, I should say--
has imposed. I have been joined in this by Commerce Committee Ranking 
Member Senator Cruz, who shares my concerns, as well as other committee 
Republicans who share those concerns as well. I would like to see some 
of my Democratic colleagues taking a closer look at BEAD implementation 
and broadband implementation more generally.

  As the BEAD program makes very clear, you can throw a lot--a lot--$42 
billion a lot--a lot of taxpayer money at a problem and still not get 
results. I would like to see the Commerce Committee conduct a lot more 
oversight of the programs and Agencies under its jurisdiction.
  It has been more than 1,500 days since the last Federal 
Communications Commission oversight hearing at the Commerce Committee--
the committee, the principal committee of jurisdiction over the FCC.
  In fact, we haven't had a single FCC oversight hearing since 
Democrats took control of the Senate back in 2021. And despite the 
ongoing failure of the BEAD program at the National Telecommunications 
and Information Administration, we haven't held a single hearing on 
NTIA yet in this Congress. While I understand that highlighting the 
failure of the Biden-Harris administration's signature broadband 
initiative is probably not high on Democrats' priority list, our 
obligation to the American people and our concern for the millions of 
Americans without broadband access should put BEAD oversight at the top 
of the Commerce Committee's agenda.
  Mr. President, the BEAD program's failure certainly highlights the 
fact that Vice President Harris has been no more effective as broadband 
czar as she has been as border czar. It also points to a larger 
problem--larger problems--with progressivism, like big promises, poor 
results, and the prioritization of liberal social fantasies over the 
needs of the American people. I suspect that if ``Broadband Czar'' 
Harris becomes President Harris, the BEAD program will not be the last 
disastrous government program we see on her watch.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Padilla). The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (The remarks of Mrs. BRITT pertaining to the introduction of S. 5150 
are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills 
and Joint Resolutions.'')
  Mrs. BRITT. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.