Manchin Applauds President Trump's Executive Action to Streamline Broadband Buildout in Rural Communities

Statement

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) today applauded President Trump's executive order and memorandum aimed at expanding broadband access in rural communities in West Virginia and across the country. The President's executive action is in line with bipartisan legislation Manchin introduced along with Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) last year to streamline the application process required to construct broadband infrastructure on federal lands.

The President's executive action directs federal agencies to remove obstacles to broadband deployment and reduce barriers to investment in broadband infrastructure. Specifically, the executive order and the memorandum direct federal agencies to evaluate the effectiveness of the application process to build out broadband infrastructure on federal property and ultimately streamline and expedite the review of these requests.

"I commend President Trump for doing what he can through executive action to cut the red tape that serves as a roadblock to broadband buildout in our rural communities," Senator Manchin said. "But more needs to be done. Last June, I was proud to introduce the Rural Broadband Deployment Streamlining Act that makes these changes permanent because West Virginia businesses and communities need reliable broadband access to compete in the 21st century economy. I will continue to work with President Trump and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure every West Virginian has the resources they need to succeed."

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