Republican lawmakers have slammed Vice President Kamala Harris for the administration’s failure to expand broadband service to rural, unserved communities.
President Joe Biden previously tasked Harris with leading the administration’s $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program in 2021. However, the program has yet to connect a single person to the internet.
In a letter to the Vice President, nine GOP Senators criticized the Democrat’s presidential nominee, labeling her the “broadband czar” which, akin to her performance on the border, has been “marked by poor management and a lack of effectiveness.”
“Instead of focusing on delivering broadband services to unserved areas, your administration has used the BEAD program to add partisan, extralegal requirements that were never envisioned by Congress and have obstructed broadband deployment,” wrote the senators. “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.”
Many on social media were stunned by the $42 billion expenditure.
Others called for Elon Musk’s Starlink system to be installed across the country.
