House Democrats Emphasize COVID-19 Web Needs in Push for Consensus
The bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus began pressing Tuesday for alternate COVID-19 aid legislation that includes broadband funding, amid a renewed push for a compromise. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., wants the chamber to remain in session until passage. Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., during appearances at an Incompas event cited the need for COVID-19 legislation to address broadband. House Republicans cited broadband access in their preelection “Commitment to America” plan as a priority if their party regains a majority in the chamber.
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Pelosi told the House Democratic Caucus Tuesday the chamber must “stay here until we have a bill,” an aide said. It's to recess in early October for campaigns. Pelosi emphasized she’s unwilling to back the sort of “skinny” pandemic bill Republicans proposed, such as the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act (see 2009100046), the aide said. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., refused to consider the House-passed Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HR-6800), which includes broadband funding (see 2005130059). Broadband could become an election focus (see 2008210001).
Clyburn told Incompas that broadband funding is likely to “be a top priority next year,” as “no matter what we do this year, it will be insufficient” to fully address the connectivity access issues that have become more noticeable during the pandemic, he said. It will likely be “stop-gap” money that’s “small bore.” Clyburn’s House Rural Broadband Task Force proposed $100 billion for broadband and next-generation 911 (see 2006240073).
Clyburn believes it’s “going to be … very important” Congress appropriate funding in FY 2021 for the FCC to implement the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act broadband mapping law (S-1822). “That to me will do as much as anything to get” broadband expansion “on track,” he said. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., is likewise pressing appropriators (see 2009140062).
Doyle blamed the lack of further emergency broadband money on congressional Republicans. House Democrats “have made these issues a priority” via HR-6800 and the Moving Forward Act infrastructure bill (HR-2) but encountered obstruction from McConnell and other Senate GOP leaders, Doyle said.
It has “always been clear that we cannot rely on corporate promises,” like the voluntary Keep Americans Connected pledge, “and donations alone to get us through” COVID-19, Doyle said. “Congress needs to act,” and “we have missed too many opportunities,” he said. “We are failing our nation’s schoolchildren” by not allocating more money to address broadband connectivity gaps. Doyle highlighted telecom policy differences between Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and President Donald Trump (see 2009150073). FCC Chairman Ajit Pai defended the commission’s approval of Ligado’s L-band plan and predicted the upcoming C-band auction will be “massive” (see 2009150069).
The Problem Solvers proposed $12 billion “for broadband hot spots in underserved communities” as part of a $1.9 trillion package that would draw on $1.5 trillion in new funding and $130 billion from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (see 2003250046). There would be $30 billion for “healthcare provider support” that could be used partly for telehealth expansion, the caucus said. It would allocate $100 billion to “K-12 schools for virtual, hybrid, and/or in-person learning.”
House Republicans’ proposed 117th Congress agenda calls for “bringing high-speed internet to every household” as part of a goal to “upgrade and modernize America’s infrastructure.” The GOP said its goals also include “expanding access to affordable telemedicine” and implementing the House Republican China Task Force’s call for the U.S. to “move our supply chain” for technology “out of China.”