Early on in his Oval Office tenure, President Joe Biden tasked Vice President Kamala Harris with overseeing a broadband internet program. Her job was to get broadband internet to every American across the country at a cost of $42 billion.
In September, Republican Senator John Thune exposed the program hadn't connected a single household.
It’s been nearly three years since the BEAD program was established – and in all of that time the program has not connected a single household to the internet. “Broadband Czar” Harris’s tenure has been nothing short of a disaster. pic.twitter.com/3qmehkvIM5
— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) September 24, 2024
Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr explained more.
"In 2021, Vice President Harris agreed to lead the Administration’s $42B plan to expand Internet to millions of Americans. Not one person has been connected to the Internet. None," Carr posted on X ahead of congressional testimony about the matter. "With VP Harris at the helm, Politico recently reported on the “frustration” and “finger-pointing” that now define the program’s 'messy, delayed rollout.' One state official described 'a chaotic implementation environment,' 'dysfunction,' and 'delays.' She added that the Administration 'has provided either no guidance, guidance given too late, or guidance changing midstream.' The Administration is 'slowing states down,' she said."
"So what has the Administration been doing over the last 1,039 days instead of connecting Americans? It has been layering on red tape and advancing a wish list of progressive policy goals," Carr continued. "The $42 billion program led by Vice President Harris is being used to pursue a climate change agenda, DEI requirements, price controls, preferences for government-run networks, and rules that will lead to wasteful overbuilding. All of this will leave rural and other unconnected communities behind."
In 2021, Vice President Harris agreed to lead the Administration’s $42B plan to expand Internet to millions of Americans.
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) September 19, 2024
1️⃣,0️⃣3️⃣9️⃣ days later …
Not one person has been connected to the Internet. None.
With VP Harris at the helm, Politico recently reported on the… pic.twitter.com/ot7dJY0nJU
Now as Biden prepares to leave the White House is just three weeks, his broadband boondoggle is getting more attention from the liberal corners of the media.
That's from Politico. This was an underrated 2024 problem for Democrats. It's hard to run on your $42 billion expansion of broadband when it hasn't expanded broadband. Change is what gets built, not how much money gets appropriated to build. https://t.co/YR5YNE8fSl
— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) December 30, 2024