Republicans Keep Taking Credit For Billions In Broadband Subsidies Only Made Possible By The COVID Relief And Infrastructure Bills They Vehemently Opposed

There’s an historic $50 billion in broadband subsidies currently heading to the states courtesy of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). There are plenty of potential hiccups on stuff like mapping that could screw things up, but, any way you slice it, this money should still have an amazing, positive impact on affordable broadband expansion.

Amusingly though, the same Republicans who vehemently opposed and voted against both bills are now happily taking credit for their benefits among their constituents.

Case in point: Republican Governor Ron DeSantis keeps crowing about Florida’s broadband investments made possible via Florida’s “Broadband Opportunity Program.” A significant chunk of those funds ($400 million, page 5) were only made possible via the federal ARPA bill DeSantis and state senators opposed, but good luck finding any mention of that in state press releases on the subject. The whole thing was, apparently, Ronald’s idea:

“Investing in reliable internet infrastructure strengthens local economies and opens up new opportunities for students, businesses and families,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I am happy to award this $22 million to support Florida’s small and rural communities and I look forward to making more awards in the future that expand internet access to all Floridians.”

I’m seeing the same thing play out in most Republican controlled states, where leaders have (as required by the bills) created what are often their first ever broadband offices to disperse the funds, then pretended that this was all their idea, and that the lion’s share of the money isn’t coming from federal programs they fought tooth and nail against for the better part of the last few years.

Like in Montana, where Republican Governor Greg Gianforte has also repeatedly issued press releases lauding broadband subsidies doled out by the state, without mentioning that Montana’s ConnectMT program is primarily going to be built on the back of ARPA and IIJA funds:

“Expanding access to reliable broadband is a central element of Governor Gianforte’s Montana Comeback Plan.”

Our press often can’t point this out, so Republicans get to have their cake (attack helpful legislation under the highly performative pretense that federal government is always inherently bad) and eat it too (take direct credit for federal legislation they opposed that provides genuine, meaningful assistance).

Granted when it comes to broadband policy, the Republican (and often Democrat) solution has been to basically pretend that broadband monopolies don’t exist and aren’t the obvious cause of the country’s patchy, slow, expensive broadband. While at the same time demonizing pretty much every creative, local voter approved effort to do anything about it (House Republicans literally attempted to ban helpful community broadband networks during a plague).

Granted there are plenty of Democrats who mindlessly pander to telecom monopolies as well. Senators Manchin, Masto, and Kelly (with the GOP’s help) directly derailed the nomination of popular reformer Gigi Sohn to the FCC (leaving the agency without the voting majority to do absolutely anything deemed controversial by industry), and Democratic FCC boss Jessica Rosenworcel has an obvious and comical allergy to even acknowledging telecom monopolization exists or that it profoundly harms consumers.

Mindlessly throwing money at the “digital divide,” but doing absolutely nothing to address the corruption or monopoly rot causing the problem, is very much a bipartisan affair. That said, Democrats did oversee what will ultimately be the biggest broadband funding effort in American history at a time where broadband is increasingly viewed as a utility, which isn’t exactly small potatoes.

In contrast, Republicans have supported AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon on on every last policy debate of note over the better part of a generation (net neutrality, privacy, community broadband bans, etc.), routinely fight efforts to do absolutely anything about telecom monopolization, then taking credit for subsidy programs they claimed to have oppose. There’s a messaging opportunity here for Democrats they’re consistently afraid to exploit.

And when Republican-controlled states do take advantage of said funds, they often do their very best to ensure the lion’s share of the money goes to giant monopolies (see how most of Montana’s new federal broadband funding is being shoveled to Charter and Comcast, two regional monopolies directly responsible for the market failure we’re pretending to address).

If you were to read telecom trade mags or mainstream press coverage on telecom and broadband policy, absolutely none of this context is mentioned. None. Press coverage of the sector is usually superficial cribbing from press releases, which is why it’s so easy for Republican leadership to take credit for policies they opposed, with the voting populace never being the wiser.