"From communities in the rural plains to remote mountainous regions, access to broadband has the power to change lives with better access to education, employment, health care and connections to loved ones. We applaud Chairman Roberts, Ranking Member Stabenow and the Senate on passage of a Farm Bill which will connect more Americans to the power of high-speed internet service. This legislation has important reforms to the USDA Rural Utility Service’s broadband programs so federal funding will focus more appropriately on bringing connectivity to unserved areas, rather than overbuilding existing networks. In addition, the legislation also directs the RUS to confer with the FCC and NTIA and includes transparency and notice processes, all of which will help provide the USDA with the latest information about broadband availability and guard against waste, fraud and abuse. We encourage the House and Senate to come together and produce a combined Farm Bill that includes these important reforms.”