WASHINGTON, D.C.
– U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), today participated in a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing to provide oversight of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC is a federal partner in the deployment of rural broadband throughout the country. As part of her Capito Connect initiative, Senator Capito works closely with the FCC to help ensure West Virginians are better served. 

HIGHLIGHTS:

ON BROADBAND FUNDING
: “It’s imperative that as many census blocks are eligible for this funding as possible. I’m concerned about this. I would ask you, Mr. Chairman, as you’re looking at the process of challenges that have been made on certain census blocks and where the distribution of the money is going to be, it’s important that we do it effectively and efficiently.”

ON ACTUALLY FOLLOWING THROUGH
: “One of the areas I’ve been concerned about in past programs is the transparency and accountability of actual delivery of what’s been promised. How do you expect under this increased auction, aimed at rural America, how are we going to get better at the transparency and accountability of this?”

ON TELEHEALTH:
“We have a telehealth initiative going all across the country, but we don’t have the ability for all our health providers to be on the same page. Do you imagine through Connected Care and other initiatives that you’re going to be able to have broad-based best practices so that we don’t come back in five years and say, ‘Well that’s great, but the radiologist can’t talk to the cardiologist. The rural can’t talk to the urban.’ How do you see that playing out?”

 

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