The National Governors Association shares a letter to policymakers…

Dear Chair Collins, Chair Cole, Vice Chair Murray, and Ranking Member DeLauro:

As Co-Chairs of the National Governor Association’s Economic Development and Revitalization Task Force, we welcome the opportunity to provide you with our priorities as your respective committees continue to craft and consider the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) appropriations bills.

NGA utilizes a task force structure to ensure a streamlined, Governor-driven approach to formulate and execute on federal policy matters that are priorities to Governors. The three task forces — Education, Workforce, and Community Investment; Public Health and Disaster Response; and Economic Development and Revitalization — work in a bipartisan fashion to coordinate NGA’s work on federal policy issues.

The Economic Development and Revitalization Task Force has jurisdiction over issues in the areas of infrastructure, broadband, energy, environment, land management, technology, and taxes. Congress has been an instrumental partner for states and territories in funding efforts to help support infrastructure, economic development, and environmental programs. Therefore, as you look toward Fiscal Year 2026’s appropriations process, NGA requests that you prioritize the following funding efforts in support of:

Broadband is one of the eleven priorities…

• Broadband Deployment and Access: As Governors, we understand the critical role that reliable and accessible internet connectivity plays in bridging the digital divide in our communities. Internet access is essential for telehealth, accessing education and workforce development programs, and connecting the 21st century economy. We strongly support the flexibility of federal programs to achieve the diverse needs of states as they deploy broadband capabilities.