Trump Signs Executive Order Expanding Broadband to Rural America

Katie Pavlich | January 08, 2018 5:15 PM

President Trump signed an executive order Monday afternoon expanding broadband internet to rural America.

"On November 6, 2017, the Department of Agriculture announced it will invest more than $200 million to help bring broadband to rural communities," the White House released. "President Trump’s Department of Agriculture has announced it will invest $2.5 billion in electric infrastructure improvements in rural areas. In fiscal year 2017, the Department of Agriculture provided more than $1 billion to help improve access to health care for rural Americans. This $1 billion helped 2.5 million Americans living in rural communities in 41 States."

JUST IN: President #Trump signs two executive orders to expand broadband access in rural areas pic.twitter.com/CdtfA6tAtZ
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 8, 2018

The move came after Trump delivered a speech to the American Farm Bureau in Nashville, the first president to do so in 25 years, touting his recently passed tax reform package.

"We have just signed into law the most significant tax cuts and reforms in American History – a total of $5.5 trillion dollars in tax cuts, with most of those benefits going to working families, small businesses and family farmers," Trump said to a supportive crowd. "Businesses across America have already started to raise wages, and more than 100 companies have already given bonuses to hundreds of thousands of workers as a result of these massive tax cuts. More than 1 million workers have already received a tax cut bonus."

"All American businesses, including American Farmers, will be able to deduct 100% of the cost of new equipment in the year you make the investment," he continued. "And from now on, most family farms and small business owners will be spared the punishment of the deeply unfair estate tax, known as the death tax—so you can keep your farms in the family."