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Senators open inquiry into Kamala Harris' failure to deliver $42b internet program promised to rural Americans

By isabelle // 2024-09-20

Nine senators have opened an inquiry into Kamala Harris's failure to deliver on her promises as the country’s “broadband czar.” At the heart of the inquiry is a $42.45 billion program aimed at providing rural America with high-speed internet. Despite this significant investment, the program has not connected a single individual to the internet after more than 1,000 days. FCC commissioner Brendan Carr has been expressing his concerns about this major failure on X and recently shared a new letter penned by nine senators about the mismanagement of this program under Harris. The letter begins by outlining her failure and comparing it to her massive failures as border czar, noting: “It appears that your performance as "broadband czar" has mirrored your performance as "border czar," marked by poor management and a lack of effectiveness despite significant federal broadband investments and your promises to deliver broadband to rural areas.” It explains how under the Infrastructure Investment and JOBS Act, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration was given $42.45 billion to carry out the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment program, also known as BEAD, to bring broadband access to rural areas and to other unserved communities. The letter cites Harris’s promise that “we can bring broadband to rural America today” and points out that three years later, not a single individual in these communities has received this connectivity.

Where did the $42 billion go?

What happened to the $42 billion? It appears that it’s being spent on kickbacks and scams. According to the senators' letter, the BEAD program has been used for adding "partisan, extralegal requirements that were never envisioned by Congress and have obstructed broadband deployment." “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, your administration has caused unnecessary delays leaving millions of Americans unconnected,” the senators point out. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota) are among those who signed the letter.

Broadband accessibility in swing states like Virginia could play a role in the election

The letter also referenced an exposé by Politico earlier this month about what it called the “messy, delayed rollout” of the program that Biden touted as recently as his speech at the Democratic National Convention last month. The program could have been a major victory for the administration but is instead providing fodder for critics and putting Democrats’ hopes in Virginia, a crucial swing state, in jeopardy. Democratic campaign group Rural Groundgame’s political director, Lynlee Thomas, said: “People need to see it. It’s got to be a lot more concrete. We’re past the point of being able to earn people’s votes based on the status quo or just hope.” It’s a particularly pressing issue in the state given that it has marketed itself as being a hub of digital infrastructure and is the site of a significant number of data centers, as well as Amazon’s second headquarters. However, 64% of rural dwellers reported not having home internet access in Virginia, and those who do have connectivity often struggle to achieve their subscribed speed. According to Politico, the communities that are still waiting for broadband are unlikely to see any movement until at least next year, which means no one will benefit from it before the election, further cementing Harris's spectacular failure as the nation's broadband czar. If she is unable to manage such a relatively straightforward project, what will happen if she ends up being in charge of the country as president? Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com Politico.com Benton.org

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