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Ranking member says investments in broadband are needed

Ranking member of the Senate Ag Committee Debbie Stabenow says the lack of broadband connectivity is hurting Rural America.

She says in today’s world broadband isn’t a luxury.  “This is about whether or not we’re going to have quality of life in small towns and rural communities,” she says.  “Every farmer is using technology.  All the equipment is connected – the GPS and communications and so on.”

Stabenow says funding for growth and development of that infrastructure will have to come from multiple avenues.  “Everyone is talking about infrastructure,” she says.  “And the infrastructure plan our caucus wrote in January and presented to the President had broadband in there as infrastructure.  It’s not just within the farm bill context – although we certainly had a role to play.”

She says rural communities can’t thrive without connectivity and investments in broadband infrastructure are needed.

Stabenow made her remarks to Brownfield following the recent Farm Bill hearing in Michigan.