Democrats Consider Moving Broadband Bills Before August Break

Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill’s commerce panels can’t wait to mark up the broadband portions of the Biden administration’s proposed infrastructure legislation — though the timing still hinges on whether President Joe Biden nails down bipartisan consensus with Republicans or Democrats decide to go it alone. House Commerce Committee Democrats want to mark up their LIFT America Act, H.R. 1848 (117), as the vehicle, according to Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA). That measure would provide more than $90 billion to expand internet connectivity. “Whenever we get the green light from leadership to mark up the LIFT Act, we will,” he said, adding he believes his caucus wants to make that happen before Congress’ monthlong August recess. But he stressed the bipartisan talks as an X factor: “We still have a ways to go.” Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA) hopes to advance broadband portions of a bill through her panel in July, she said, and the “big numbers” mentioned by both sides have been promising (Biden wants $100 billion, but both parties say they could get behind $65 billion). She praised lawmakers in both parties for being “engaged” on issues like the digital divide and how to close it: “On making an investment, they’re pretty much aligned.” Democrats “think we should be looking at spending a little bit more money to put fiber and make it possible for everybody eventually to transition” to 5G, Chairman Doyle said, expressing fear that Congress might do a package “on the cheap” and consign many areas of the country to the current Federal Communications Commission definition of broadband, a modest 25 Megabits/second download and 3 Mbps upload. “We might not do 100/100 [Mbps], but I don't know why we would shoot so low,” he added.