U.S. Representative Pete Stauber on Broadband Infrastructure as a Necessity, Not a Luxury
Interview by Sheri Hansen | August 19, 2021
Congressman Pete Stauber.
FEATURE
The second-term congressman representing Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District has been a champion for expanding broadband access since long before COVID-19 exposed the vast gaps in access in Minnesota communities. ENTER recently spoke with Congressman Stauber about why broadband access is important, and how it fits into the bigger picture of U.S. infrastructure.
Why is broadband access a top-priority issue for you?
At some point in this nation’s history, the government said that every home having a mailbox mattered. We must bring that same philosophy to making sure every residence, every farm, and every small business has a strong broadband connection. It’s critical. I’ve seen the need as a city councilor and a county commissioner and even more so as a federal representative. We know that it’s strategically important to invest in not only [broadband] mapping but actually getting broadband out to the people.
Early in the COVID pandemic, we started to see kids sitting in cars near a bus garage or near their school so they could download their homework and get their next assignment. We heard of kids having to stay up late to do their homework where there are slow internet connections. This is absolutely unacceptable in the 21st century. I want to make sure everyone in America gets broadband access. Because you know what? We live in a global society. When we’re connected, we can do so much better, in our own backyards and throughout the country.
As a member of the Small Business Committee in Congress, I’ve had an opportunity to hear about how important broadband is to our economic future. We must stay competitive for our school kids. We must be competitive in the small business and manufacturing arenas. In the last Congress, I signed on to every bipartisan piece of broadband infrastructure legislation. I plan to sign on to every bipartisan bill that invests in broadband in the 117th Congress. It’s that serious.
Do you support the inclusion of broadband in the current infrastructure package moving through Congress?
I am absolutely a supporter of broadband being part of the infrastructure package. If there’s a bipartisan investment from this nation’s capital into our communities across this nation, it ought to be the investment in broadband, and local communities ought to be able to make decisions with those investments. Whether it’s tower-to-tower or buried—whatever they decide—I trust our local elected officials to make that good decision for the constituents they serve.
“As a member of the Small Business Committee in Congress, I’ve had an opportunity to hear about how important broadband is to our economic future. We must stay competitive for our school kids. We must be competitive in the small business and manufacturing arenas.”
When I served on the Hermantown City Council and the St. Louis County Board of Commissioners, I appreciated having the ability to make local decisions on how to use federal funding. Of course, there will be some general parameters set federally. But we’ve elected our local officials to make these kinds of decisions with the best knowledge they have for the betterment of us all, and they can help make sure that broadband investment gets implemented in a timely fashion.
This Congress has also put forth legislation for the Small Business Administration to create a broadband coordinator position that acts as a liaison between the federal government and our small communities, providing communities with accurate and timely information about implementing broadband solutions. [The legislation] is going to assist our small businesses in adopting innovations and ultimately making broadband part of their business model. I also supported pushing forward the eBridge Act, which allows funding from the Economic Development Administration to be part of the overall broadband investment.
These tools give local communities the opportunity to make those investments how they see fit and help us get the greatest return on them. Taxpayers want us to use the money wisely, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. If we can get these bills across the finish line, it will benefit small businesses and communities across the nation. I’ve been working on this for three years, and I’m so pleased that we’re on the cusp of getting it done.
How are you feeling about the broader infrastructure package?
The Senate just passed an infrastructure package, and it is now headed to the House for consideration. Those of us in the Republican Party want to let the infrastructure package stand on its own. Unfortunately, right now, Speaker Pelosi intends to tie the package to a $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. Inflation across the country is already at a record high, so I don’t think we need to be spending $3.5 trillion more. I hope that we can pass a great bipartisan infrastructure package because America needs it. But we need to do it without raising the national debt or raising taxes.