The current administration seems to be doing everything they can to spend as much of your money as possible. But this newest revelation has uncovered a massive shortfall.
And the Biden administration has cost taxpayers trillions in the newest failed effort.
The Biden-Harris administration, with its grand promises and progressive mandates, has proven once again that it is all talk and no action.
The latest example of this disastrous governance is the utter failure of the administration’s so-called broadband expansion effort, which was touted as a historic achievement on par with Franklin D. Roosevelt’s electrification of rural America.
Yet, more than 1,000 days after the passage of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, not a single American has been connected through the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. This colossal waste of taxpayer money is a stark reminder of the incompetence and inefficiency that define the Biden-Harris administration.
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Frustration, finger pointing, & a failure to launch, Politico reports.@VP Kamala Harris has been leading the Administration’s $42B plan for expanding Internet service for 1️⃣,0️⃣2️⃣3️⃣ days.
0️⃣ People have been connected
0️⃣ Projects underway
0️⃣ Results to show pic.twitter.com/GVrdiaxHgY
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) September 3, 2024
The BEAD program was supposed to be a game-changer, bringing high-speed internet to millions of Americans, particularly in underserved rural areas. But here we are, nearly three years later, and not one person has been connected.
This failure is not just a minor setback; it is a glaring example of how the Biden-Harris administration’s progressive agenda is actively harming the very people it claims to help.
Instead of delivering on its promises, the administration has burdened the program with a maze of progressive mandates and regulations that have made it nearly impossible to achieve any real progress.
The administration has touted the BEAD program as a success, comparing it to FDR’s New Deal initiatives, but the reality is far from that lofty comparison. While FDR’s programs brought tangible improvements to American infrastructure, the BEAD program under Biden and Harris has been nothing but a money pit, draining billions from taxpayers with nothing to show for it.
The failure of the BEAD program can be traced directly to the onerous progressive mandates that have been imposed on it. These mandates are not just bureaucratic red tape; they are ideological roadblocks designed to prioritize leftist social engineering over practical solutions. Let’s break down the key issues:
Onerous Labor Requirements: The program’s labor requirements actively discriminate against workers, particularly in rural areas. By imposing union-centric labor standards, the administration has effectively shut out many skilled workers who could have been part of the solution, slowing down deployment and denying communities access to reliable broadband.
Government Overreach: The BEAD program encourages government-owned networks over private investment, stifling competition and innovation. This preference for government control is a hallmark of the Biden-Harris administration’s approach, but it’s the American people who suffer as private companies are discouraged from investing in broadband expansion.
Fiber Optic Prioritization: The program’s narrow focus on fiber optic cable deployment, to the exclusion of other technologies like wireless internet, has further hampered progress. This insistence on one-size-fits-all solutions ignores the diverse needs of different communities and delays broadband access for millions.
Affordability Mandates: The administration’s confusing affordability and rate regulation mandates have created significant delays, particularly in states like Virginia. These mandates are nothing more than an attempt to impose socialist price controls on the private sector, stalling progress and frustrating state officials.
Climate-Related Risks: In a stunning display of overreach, the program requires eligible projects to account for “climate-related” risks—an absurd mandate that was not even included in the original infrastructure bill. This adds yet another layer of unnecessary complexity, making it even harder to get projects off the ground.
These progressive mandates have turned the BEAD program into a bureaucratic nightmare. Even state officials who want to expand broadband are finding their hands tied by the administration’s convoluted requirements.
Misty Ann Giles, who leads Montana’s broadband efforts, rightly pointed out that it’s not the government’s job to dictate what companies charge. Yet, the Biden-Harris administration is “pushing a social policy” that prioritizes ideological goals over practical solutions.
The result? Telecom executives are openly complaining that the program’s affordability requirements are putting its overall success in jeopardy. In a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, more than 30 telecom executives expressed their frustration, saying, “We and our members sincerely want this program to work, but we believe that your agency’s administration of the low-cost service option requirement in particular risks putting the overall success of BEAD in jeopardy.” This isn’t just a warning; it’s a damning indictment of the administration’s mismanagement.
The silver lining in this debacle is that a future Trump administration could have the opportunity to rewrite the rules around BEAD deployment and finally deliver on the promise of expanded broadband access. Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH), chair of the House Energy and Commerce telecom subcommittee, suggested that under different leadership, the program could be streamlined and made more effective.
“We might not have to even ask those questions about rate regulation,” Latta said, indicating that a more pragmatic approach could cut through the progressive mandates and get broadband to the people who need it.
The broadband debacle is just one example of the Biden-Harris administration’s broader failures. From skyrocketing inflation to the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, this administration has proven time and again that it is incapable of governing effectively.
The infrastructure bill, which was supposed to be a cornerstone of Biden’s presidency, has instead become a symbol of his ineptitude. Trillions of dollars have been spent, but what do the American people have to show for it? Higher taxes, more government overreach, and a litany of failed promises.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who was tapped to lead the broadband effort, has shown herself to be just as ineffective as her boss. Despite being given a clear mandate and billions of dollars in resources, Harris has failed to deliver any meaningful results.
This is the same Kamala Harris who flip-flops on key issues, panders to the far-left, and lacks any real vision for America’s future. Her leadership on the broadband issue—or lack thereof—proves that she is not up to the task of leading this nation.
The Biden-Harris administration has cost taxpayers trillions of dollars and has nothing to show for it.
It’s time to put an end to this madness and elect leaders who will prioritize the needs of the American people over the demands of the progressive elite.
Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.
