Iowa’s junior U.S. senator, Joni Ernst, has a strong message for the Department for Government Efficiency: shut down President Biden’s broadband expansion program.
Ernst sent a letter to the co-chairmen of the department, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, criticizing the Biden administration’s broadband plan.
She pointed out that while the plan allocated $42 billion to improve internet access, three years later, no one has been connected to the internet yet, and progress has been slow. She also mentioned that the $7.5 billion for electric vehicle EV charging stations has barely made any headway, with only 17 stations completed.
The program, called the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment BEAD program, was part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021.
It aimed to provide internet access to underserved areas and is being managed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration NTIA. Iowa has been allocated $415.3 million in funding for this initiative.
Ernst sent the letter as the Chair of the Republican Policy Committee, but recently lost a bid for a higher leadership position in the Senate to Sen. Tom Cotton.
She did not explain in detail why she wants the BEAD program shut down but has been critical of the bill, which passed with the support of many Senate Republicans, including her colleague Chuck Grassley, although Ernst voted against it.
Musk, who owns part of SpaceX which operates Starlink, a satellite internet service), has also criticized the BEAD program, calling it a waste of taxpayer money.
Additionally, Senator Ted Cruz has requested a pause on some of the program’s activities, suggesting that significant changes may be coming under a potential new administration.