Capito Leads Senators in Urging President Trump to Expand Broadband Access

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) led Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Angus King (I-Maine), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.), the co-chairs of the Senate Broadband Caucus, and 43 other senators in a letter urging President Trump to include broadband in any infrastructure initiative. This follows the letter Senator Capito sent President-elect Trump on December 12 encouraging the new administration to prioritize broadband deployment.

"A broad agenda to promote broadband access will empower Americans living in every community -- from urban city centers to rural towns -- with economic opportunities that will jumpstart growth in jobs and wages," the senators wrote. "That is why improving broadband access must be a priority in the 115th Congress and broadband must be part of any discussions regarding infrastructure investments to meet the demands of the 21st century economy. In addition, policies that reduce barriers to investment in communications infrastructure and streamline the deployment process will play a key role in expanding economic growth."

In addition to the co-chairs of the Senate Broadband Caucus, the letter was also signed by Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Al Franken (D-Minn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii).

The House Broadband Caucus, co-chaired by Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa), and Bob Latta (R-Ohio), sent a similar letter to President Trump today.

Source