Expediting Federal Broad- Band Deployment Reviews Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. McCLELLAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1681, the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act, which was introduced by Representatives Craig and Evans.

When communications providers deploy broadband infrastructure, efficiency is critical to stretching their capital investments as far and to as many homes and businesses as possible. In the course of developing and comparing different ways to carry out a project, providers may determine that the most direct route to lay broadband infrastructure requires traversing lands owned and managed by the Federal Government.

At the Energy and Commerce Committee, we have heard testimony from witnesses and hearings about delays and inefficiencies handling permit applications that are pending at the various agencies overseeing Federal lands. While environmental and historic preservation protections will always be of paramount importance to me, we should always strive to ensure that our agencies operate as efficiently as possible.

With H.R. 1681, Congress can ensure agencies dispense with applications to deploy communications infrastructure more quickly, where no additional environmental or historic preservation due diligence is required.

This bill requires the administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, to establish an interagency strike force that will improve collaboration between NTIA and the agencies and departments responsible for reviewing and approving communications use applications.

Our intent is for NTIA to bring relevant parties together to identify obstacles and inefficiencies that have slowed progress in the past and collaborate on solutions to address these barriers going forward. This will ultimately expedite the deployment of broadband infrastructure to the rural and remote areas that are still most in need.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. McCLELLAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 1681, the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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