Chairman David Scott and Ranking Member Glenn 'GT' Thompson sent the following letter to House Leadership urging them to bring H.R. 4374, the Broadband Internet Connections for Rural America Act, to the House Floor for a vote. This bipartisan bill passed out of the House Agriculture Committee on July 14th, 2021. A summary of the bill can be found here.  A PDF copy of the letter can be found here. 

***

Speaker Pelosi, Leader Hoyer, Leader McCarthy, and Whip Scalise:

 

We write today to ask you for your assistance for a Floor vote on our bipartisan legislation, H.R. 4374, the Broadband Internet Connections for Rural America Act, providing USDA with an authorization of $43.2 billion, which received a unanimous committee vote.

 

It is vitally important that the USDA, with its unique expertise, experience, and 159 years History serving Rural America, provide the leading role in our nation’s rural broadband strategy. This is why we set aside partisan differences, to craft this legislation.

 

No agency is better equipped to bring rural broadband internet connections to rural America than the USDA.  We must remember, it was the USDA, that was authorized under the 1936 Rural Electrification Act that brought electricity to our rural communities. 

 

The USDA has the deep roots in rural America, where agriculture, food security, forestry, and the largest part of international trade. And, USDA already has the infrastructure on the ground, ready to go in every single state and territory in rural America. 

 

It is with deep respect and urgent need that we, respectfully, ask you, our bipartisan leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives to help us get a Floor vote for our bill, the Broadband Internet Connections for Rural America Act.  God bless you and thank you.