Memphis Standard

U.S. Senators, led by Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and John Thune of South Dakota, have expressed concerns over Vice President Kamala Harris's handling of federal broadband initiatives. The senators addressed their issues in a letter to the Vice President, criticizing what they described as mismanagement of efforts to expand broadband services to rural and unserved communities.

In 2021, President Biden assigned Vice President Harris the task of overseeing the administration's initiative to improve broadband access. However, the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program under her leadership has not yet connected any individuals to the internet.

The senators wrote: “Instead of focusing on delivering broadband services to unserved areas, your administration has used the BEAD program to add partisan, extralegal requirements that were never envisioned by Congress and have obstructed broadband deployment.” They further stated that "by imposing burdensome climate change mandates on infrastructure projects, prioritizing government-owned networks over private investment, mandating the use of unionized labor in states, and seeking to regulate broadband rates," delays have occurred which leave many Americans without connectivity.

The letter was co-signed by Senators Ted Budd from North Carolina, Ted Cruz from Texas, Deb Fischer from Nebraska, Cynthia Lummis from Wyoming, Eric Schmitt from Missouri, Roger Wicker from Mississippi, and Todd Young from Indiana.