To watch Senator Capito’s remarks, click here or on the image above.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a leader on the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined a Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing examining broadband deployment funding at the Department of Commerce.

During the hearing, Senator Capito asked Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick about whether states would be able to use remaining funds from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program for projects that support state’s deployment plans. Senator Capito also discussed how the higher cost of permitting is impacting deployment of broadband and how redeployment funds can be used to subside those costs.

In November 2025, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) approved West Virginia’s Final Proposal for the BEAD program. This program, which Senator Capito has been a staunch supporter of, provides resources to expand high-speed Internet access by funding planning, deployment and workforce programs.

HIGHLIGHTS:

ON THE HIGHER COST OF DEPLOYMENT: “I think one of the things you're going to hear repeatedly is the higher cost of permitting, obviously, to permit some of the deployment of the broadband. Many states and ours included, are, and this is a political battle that I don't need to get into from this, from this position, is the cost of attaching to the poles with your utilities. It's, it's state by state in some cases, and hasn't been settled. So I think the redeployment funds as the price of permitting goes up and some of the costs go up, and the cost of pole attachments, I think, is something that you're probably going to hear tomorrow.”

ON THE POTENTIAL FOR DEFAULTS:

Senator Capito: “If we have some small ISPs, or maybe it's the satellite providers decide that they just can't do what they've committed to do. And if I understand what you said, that you are going to be looking at this so that we can have a reuse kind of so that we can reach those locations, and our state's going to be able to look at a rebid on that. Is that what you're saying.”

Secretary Lutnick: “We have seen providers try to bully the states with riders that are outside of our guideline” “They will not be accepted.” “So therefore, if a provider cannot live up to their promise to you, we will work together. You will replace that provider, and we will make sure you can do that.”

Click HERE to watch Senator Capito’s remarks.