Broadband access includes a wide range of speeds and technologies, all of which provide much faster access to the Internet than dial-up. The term “broadband” once had a technical meaning, but today it is more often used as a marketing buzzword to simply mean “faster”. Broadband connections are continuous or “always on” connections, without the need to dial and hangup, and do not monopolize phone lines.

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The Broadband category has related posts on government agencies and departments and  committees and their Chairs.

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is a Cabinet department in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government.

Although its beginnings were in the House and Home Financing Agency, it was founded as a Cabinet department in 1965, as part of the “Great Society” program of President Lyndon B. Johnson, to develop and execute policies on housing and metropolises.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction over the areas of broadband access, fair competition, radio frequency use, media responsibility, public safety, and homeland security.

The FCC was formed by the Communications Act of 1934 to replace the radio regulation functions of the previous Federal Radio Commission. The FCC took over wire communication regulation from the Interstate Commerce Commission. The FCC’s mandated jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories of the United States. The FCC also provides varied degrees of cooperation, oversight, and leadership for similar communications bodies in other countries in North America. The FCC is funded entirely by regulatory fees. It has an estimated fiscal-2022 budget of US $388 million.

Source: Wikipedia

Mission:  
Has broad jurisdiction over all matters concerning interstate commerce, science and technology policy, and transportation, the Senate Commerce Committee is one of the largest of the Senate’s standing committees, with 26 members in the 117th Congress.

House counterparts: Energy and Commerce Committee; Science, Space, and Technology Committee; and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Democratic Members (Minority):
Maria Cantwell, Washington, Ranking Member
Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota
Brian Schatz, Hawaii
Ed Markey, Massachusetts
Gary Peters, Michigan
Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin
Tammy Duckworth, Illinois
Jacky Rosen, Nevada
Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico
John Hickenlooper, Colorado
John Fetterman, Pennsylvania
Andy Kim, New Jersey
Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware

Republican Members (Majority):
Ted Cruz, Texas, Chair
John Thune, South Dakota
Roger Wicker, Mississippi
Deb Fischer, Nebraska
Jerry Moran, Kansas
Dan Sullivan, Alaska
Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee
Todd Young, Indiana
Ted Budd, North Carolina
Eric Schmitt, Missouri
Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia
Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming
John Curtis, Utah
Bernie Moreno, Ohio
Tim Sheehy, Montana

Featured Video: 
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Hearing Q&A 06/24/2021

Current: US Senator since 2001
Affiliation: Democrat 
Leadership: Chair, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
District:
Next Election: 

History:  Cantwell attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in public administration. A year after graduating, Cantwell worked on Jerry Springer’s unsuccessful 1982 Ohio gubernatorial campaign.

Maria Cantwell served in the Washington House of Representatives from 1987 to 1993, and in the United States House of Representatives from Washington’s 1st congressional district from 1993 to 1995. After losing her seat to Republican Rick White in the 1994 election. She then briefly worked in the private sector as vice president of marketing for RealNetworks.

Quotes:  The COVID-19 pandemic made it crystal clear that local reporters and newsrooms are essential to keeping the public informed and safe, but their importance spans well beyond health emergencies. At its core, local news is about holding the powerful accountable.

The strength of our democracy is based in truth and transparency, and local newsrooms are on the ground in our communities asking the critical questions, countering misinformation, and telling our stories. We have to protect these vital parts of our communities.

Featured Video: Sen. Maria Cantwell On The Washington State Coronavirus Response | All In | MSNBC

Current Position: US Senator since 2013
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 – 2008
Other Positions:  Ranking member, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights – Committee on the Judiciary

On March 23, 2015, Cruz announced he was running for president. Despite having only been a senator for two years, he emerged as a serious contender in the Republican primaries. The competition for the Republican presidential nomination between Cruz and front-runner Donald Trump was heated and characterized by a series of public personal attacks. Cruz initially declined to endorse him, but he became a staunch supporter of Trump during his presidency.

Law Clerk, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, Supreme Court of the United States, 1996-1997 and Judge J. Michael Luttig, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1995-1996

Featured Quote: 
The CDC has destroyed their credibility. A year and a half ago, the CDC was one of the most respected scientific organizations in the world. Now, their credibility is in tatters because they behave more like an arm of the DNC than a serious scientific organization.

Cruz Lashes Out At Pelosi Over Mask Rules: ‘Who The Hell Is She To Be Fining Members Of The House?’

Mission:  
Jurisdiction for legislation and oversight of the natural and built environment and for studying matters concerning environmental protection and resource conservation and utilitization.

House counterparts: Committee on Energy and Commerce; Committee on Natural Resources; Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Democratic Members (Minority):
Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island, Ranking Member
Bernie Sanders, Vermont
Jeff Merkley, Oregon
Ed Markey, Massachusetts
Mark Kelly, Arizona
Alex Padilla, California
Adam Schiff, California
Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware
Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland

Republican Members (Majority):
Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia, Chair
Kevin Cramer, North Dakota
Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming
John Curtis, Utah
Peter Ricketts, Nebraska
John Boozman, Arkansas
Roger Wicker, Mississippi
Dan Sullivan, Alaska
Lindsey Graham, South Carolina
Jerry Moran, Kansas

Featured Video: 
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee holds hearing to debate transportation infrastructure

Current: US Senator since 2015
Affiliation: Republican
Leadership: Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works 

History:  Capito was educated at  Duke University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in zoology; and the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development, where she earned her master’s degree. Capito was a career counselor at West Virginia State University and director of the educational information center for the West Virginia Board of Regents.

Capito was elected to Kanawha County’s seat in the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1996, and served two terms, from 1996 to 2000. Capito served seven terms as the U.S. representative from West Virginia’s 2nd congressional district from 2001 to 2015. The daughter of three-term West Virginia governor Arch Alfred Moore Jr.

Featured Quote:  WATCH This #WestVirginiaDay, I asked my staff and friends across the state what they think of when West Virginia comes to mind. Today and every day is a great day to be a West Virginian.

Featured Video: Watch West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito at the 2016 Republican National Convention

Focusing on transportation, including civil aviation, railroads, water transportation, transportation safety (except automobile safety and transportation security functions of the Department of Homeland Security), transportation infrastructure, transportation labor, and railroad retirement and unemployment (except revenue measures related thereto)

Senate Counterpart: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Subcommittees:

• Aviation
• Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
• Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management
• Highways and Transit
• Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
• Water Resources and Environment

Chair: Sam Graves, Missouri, 
Ranking Member: Rick Larsen, Washington

Majority Staff Director: Jack Ruddy
Minority Staff Director: Katherine W Dedrick
Meeting Location: 2165 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515; Phone: (202) 225-9446

Featured Video: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Members’ Day Hearing – April 14, 2021
Web Links

Current Position: US Representative of MO District 6 since 2001
Affiliation: Republican
District:  northern Missouri, stretching across nearly the entire width of the state from Kansas to Illinois. Its largest voting population is centered in the northern portion of the Kansas City metropolitan area and the town of St. Joseph.  
Upcoming Election:

Graves is a general aviation pilot. He owns a Piper PA-11 Cub Special, is restoring a Beech AT-10, and co-owns a North American T-6 Texan and a Vultee BT-13 Valiant. Gould Peterson Municipal Airport is named after his uncle, an aviator, and is on his family’s farm. Graves is a Baptist.

Graves was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1992.[7] After one term, he was elected to the Missouri Senate in 1994 and reelected in 1998.

Source: Wikipedia

Current:: US Representative of WA District 2 since 2001
Affiliation: Democrat
Leadership: Ranking member, Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and Co-chair of the bipartisan U.S.-China Working Group (USCWG) 
District:   all of Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom counties, as well as western Snohomish County. It stretches from Bellingham and the Canada–US border in the north to Lynnwood and the King/Snohomish county line in the south. 
Next Election: 

History: Larsen attended Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Minnesota, earning a master’s degree in public affairs. He formerly worked as director of public affairs for the Washington State Dental Association and as a lobbyist for the dental profession.

Quotes:  As the nation works to emerge from the pandemic, I will continue to push for robust federal investment in long-term economic development to support local jobs, boost recovery & ensure Northwest Washington remains the aerospace capital of the world.

Featured Video: Rep. Rick Larsen reacts to Senate testimony from Boeing CEO over deadly Max crashes