House appropriators included $40 million for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect program in their fiscal year 2027 spending bill, restoring funding after the agency proposed eliminating the rural broadband initiative.
The move marks a clear divergence from USDA’s fiscal year 2027 budget request, which proposed no funding for ReConnect, according to agency broadband program requests.
The House Appropriations Committee released the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies bill on Wednesday, ahead of a subcommittee markup the following day.
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