Broadband and Appropriations

House appropriators have begun moving their funding bills to the floor. The juiciest Democratic wish lists on broadband infrastructure spending (that’s in a separate funding bill for the FCC, which provides enormous emergency funding for broadband to the tune of more than $60 billion) haven't been scheduled for votes yet. But don’t sleep on this week’s package. The legislation receiving a floor vote this week, which contains US Department of Agriculture funding, locks down more than $1 billion for expanding broadband internet infrastructure, which amounts to an increase of $435 million above the current fiscal year and slates $990 million for USDA's ReConnect broadband pilot program, an expansion over recent years, per the committee.