House Ag Committee Looks To Address A Host of Farm Focused Issues

Broadband, soil health, and rail service are all topics before the House Ag Committee this week as the House returns from summer recess.  Broadband and soil health practices are before the full Ag panel, while rail service is in front of a pair of House subcommittees, though broadband, part of the Farm Bill, is probably the highest-profile of the three issues.  Congress approved $65 billion for broadband nationally as part of the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, but FCC service mapping needed to target the funds hit some early roadblocks that are now cleared.

“The expectation is, before the end of the year sometime that they will have made substantial progress on the work that they’re doing, and that the programs out of the Department of Commerce and the Department of Agriculture will be part of that,” noted the Administration’s infrastructure adviser Mitch Landrie.

Meanwhile, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said broadband is critical for rural homes, hospitals, schools, libraries, businesses, and farmers, but not just any broadband.

“The goal isn’t just to have internet. The goal is to have high-speed internet. And that’s the beauty of this infrastructure bill, this bipartisan infrastructure bill because it provides the Department of Agriculture with additional resources to address that issue.” 

USDA recently announced more than $1 billion in round four of its ReConnect Program for providers to expand rural high-speed internet access, adding to the $1.8 billion invested so far.

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