WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and a group of her colleagues announced the introduction of the Broadband Buildout Accountability Act to increase transparency for a $42 billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act broadband buildout grant awarded to the National Technology Information Administration (NTIA), which is currently exempted from transparency requirements under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The Broadband Buildout Accountability Act would remove the FOIA exemption and require proof of how the $42 billion is spent to ensure taxpayer dollars are not misused.
“As dollars begin to flow to West Virginia for broadband deployment through our Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, West Virginia’s unserved and underserved communities cannot be left behind,” Senator Capito said. “The Broadband Buildout Accountability Act would take critical steps to hold federal agencies accountable and ensure the infrastructure funding goes to the places we intended. This bill is another important action that will help us achieve our goal of delivering fast, affordable, high-speed internet to the communities in West Virginia that need it most."
Joining Senator Capito as cosponsors of Senator Rick Scott’s (R-Fla.) legislation are Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Thune (R-S.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).
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