Senator Ernst has proposed “To amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to require remaining funds under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program to be used for deficit reduction.”

We have heard concern in Minnesota because this would impact the BEAD funds that we are not being allowed to use for infrastructure investment in broadband. Bree Maki from Office of Broadband Development informed us that, “For Minnesota it is potentially a loss of more than $255 million (at this time). That is just an estimate because we are still waiting for NTIA to make decisions on our final proposal.”