Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, Opportunities, Access, and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 3994, the Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, Opportunities, Access, and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand Act, or in short, ACCESS BROADBAND Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair and ranking member for moving this measure forward, and offer special thanks to my friend, Representative Lance, for partnering with me on this legislation. I also thank the bipartisan group of Members who have cosponsored this legislation, including 14 members of the Energy and Commerce Committee who have worked together and who agree that these are vital steps worth taking.

This bill is about serving the people. My own constituents continue to reach out about their limitations of access to broadband internet throughout the capital region. Some of these areas are rural and many are underserved and unserved entirely.

Other areas are underserved with a few houses having access, while many others are left with no affordable options in sight.

Constituents ask: When will we get access? What about western Schenectady County? What about Amsterdam? What about Berne? What about Fort Johnson? What about western Saratoga County in the 20th Congressional District?

I have heard from doctors who depend on broadband internet to read X- rays when they are on call. I hear from librarians who find students sitting in the library parking lot after hours so that they can access the internet and finish their homework assignments. I hear from workers who are forced to leave home to find high enough internet speed that they can upload or download large files. They all ask: When will we have access?

As a Congress, we owe these folk an answer. A lack of access to broadband internet in the capital region is one of many reasons I pushed to join the Energy and Commerce Committee and why I have worked to advance this legislation.

This bill is the first part of that answer. H.R. 3994, the Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, Opportunities, Access, and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand Act, the ACCESS BROADBAND Act, would establish a coordinating office for Federal broadband resources.

It would use existing resources to streamline management of Federal broadband resources across multiple agencies and simplify the process for small businesses and local economic developers to access them.

Currently, there is no comprehensive system that tracks where Federal dollars are going and how the funding is impacting communities. Investments are made with little accountability and oversight on behalf of the taxpayer.

ACCESS BROADBAND, as an act, would begin to address the issues. This bill would track Federal broadband dollars and streamline management of Federal broadband resources across multiple agencies. Most notably, it would simplify the process for small businesses and local economic developers to access them.

There is still much more work to be done on this issue. I do hope that this can serve as a starting place for us to open doors of opportunity and access for the millions of Americans who require the better and improved outcomes by investing in broadband expansion.

I thank all of the members and staff working together on ACCESS BROADBAND, helping ensure that our communities can access the broadband resources they need to grow and to prosper.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers on my side. If the other side is ready to close, I yield back the balance of my time.

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