Matsui, Others Cite 'Deep Concerns' About Trump Administration's Revised BEAD Rules
House Communications Subcommittee ranking member Doris Matsui of California and 21 other Democratic lawmakers told Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday that they have “deep concerns” about NTIA’s updated policy notice for the $42.5 billion BEAD program, which reversed much of what the Biden administration developed in the initiative’s initial rules (see 2506060052). NTIA said Monday it had approved updated BEAD plans for all 56 states and territories, setting up a Sept. 4 deadline for governments to submit a final proposal with the results of at least one round of a mandated “Benefit of the Bargain” subgrantee section process (see 2507210061).
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“Despite your stated goals of removing burdensome requirements from the BEAD Program and ensuring American taxpayers receive the ‘benefit of the bargain,’ the [revised policy notice] actually further complicates and delays the program for all stakeholders, violating congressional intent” in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Democratic lawmakers said in a letter to Lutnick. “Worst of all, American families and businesses will be left with inferior connectivity.”
“You have repeatedly mischaracterized the Biden Administration’s execution of the BEAD Program for political purposes and your disregard of congressional intent in creating the BEAD Program is clear in the policy choices made" in the revised rules, the Democrats said. The rules are “not reflective of a serious, rigorous review expected after 137 days. Forcing states to rewrite entire program criteria, add and remove broadband serviceable locations (BSLs) from broadband maps, and re-run subgrantee selection rounds in less than 90 days is an unfair and unrealistic expectation.”
“Considering the handful of instances in the [revised rules] in which NTIA threatens to reject or overrule individual project level determinations made by a state if NTIA disagrees with its decision, the claim that NTIA will approve all 56 states and territories’ proposals and subgrantee selections in a timely manner simply does not pass muster,” they said. “NTIA must stop its unlawful, destructive actions to delay BEAD and saddle American families and businesses, especially in rural and underserved areas, with costly and inferior connectivity.”