Policymakers

Virginia will be receiving nearly $1.5 billion in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program rural broadband funding—one of the higher amounts allotted in the program. Virginia’s goal is to ensure universal service, and as Dr.

The House of Representatives will be led by Rep Mike Johnson, who represents Louisiana’s 4th district. A previous Chair of the Republican Study Committee and a Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference, Johnson has also served on the House Judiciary and Armed Services Committees. What could this mean for the Congressional broadband agenda? Speaker Johnson is largely in line with his Republican colleagues on most broadband issues.

After weeks of uncertainty, House Republicans elected Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), a conservative Christian who opposes abortion rights and same-sex marriages, to become House speaker. While his hardline conservative record is not one that's widely known nationally, it's being celebrated by many Republicans in his home state who are welcoming what they see as an important moment in Louisiana's history. The state's  Gov.-elect Jeff Landry (R-LA) praised Johnson, saying he's "well-liked by everyone." Still, others have been less enthusiastic.

On September 30, the U.S. Senate unanimously voted to confirm Geoffrey Starks and Brendan Carr to serve another term as commissioners on the Federal Communications Commission. Just days before, the Senate confirmed Anna Gomez as FCC commissioner, filling a seat that had been vacant since January 20, 2021. Not only does the FCC now have a full complement of five commissioners, all have terms that will keep them at the agency until at least December 2025. So, the FCC is entering a period of relative stability in its leadership that has not been seen in a few years.

Jason Kronemeyer, the Director of Technology at Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District (EUPISD), has been relentlessly working towards enhancing educational outcomes in the region. Along the way, he grew into the role of a broadband champion. Jason's fervent desire to accelerate student learning, coupled with unconventional strategies of “connecting the dots” over decades have played an essential role in attracting infrastructure construction and driving broadband adoption.

Matt Varilek is fortunate as the new Commissioner of Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to have internet that is fast enough for him to have remote meetings at home in rural Benton County (MN). But not everyone in Greater Minnesota has that ability, which is why delivering broadband across the state is a passion of his.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted as House speaker after failing to withstand a rebellion among far-right dissidents, as the House voted for the first time in history to remove its leader and entered a period of unpredictability and paralysis. Rep. McCarthy later announced he would not seek the position again, setting up an expected intraparty battle for the position second in line to the presidency. House Republicans now need to select a new leader and find consensus for funding the government by mid-November or again risk a shutdown.

Director of the Illinois Office of Broadband, Matt Schmit, has been working for over 20 years in economic development, and began his public interest career as a grad student at University of Minnesota. There, he spent his spare time doing consulting work with local communities to take stock of their connectivity needs and make use of federal broadband funding programs.

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) selected Laphonza Butler—the President of the nation’s largest organization dedicated to electing women, EMILY’s List—to complete the United States Senate term of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, which runs through 2024. Butler, a longtime senior adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris, labor leader, and advocate for women and working people, will be the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the Senate.