{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=D812DAEA-6D66-430C-B239-9E06DC89A50A", "Thune Leads Republican Colleagues in Urging USDA to Reverse Decision to Include So-Called \u201cNet Neutrality\u201d Commitments in ReConnect Program", "2021-11-05", "2021", "2021-11", "Republican", "Senate", "SD", "John Thune", "T000250", "www.thune.senate.gov", "thune", "https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, today sent a letter with several of his Republican colleagues to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack urging the agency to avoid imposing any unnecessary \u201cnet neutrality\u201d restrictions on broadband providers, which would threaten future investments in broadband infrastructure.\n\n\u201cIt is deeply troubling that USDA is suggesting it has the authority much less the qualified staff and expertise to make determinations about \u2018lawful Internet traffic,\u2019\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cIf USDA decides to make attempts at regulating the Internet absent authority from Congress, it would lead to tremendous legal and marketplace uncertainty. Rather than attempting to impose monopoly-era regulations on broadband providers and politicizing the ReConnect program, we strongly urge you to reverse your decision to provide additional scoring points based on USDA\u2019s determination of what constitutes \u2018net neutrality.\u2019\u201d\n\nThe letter was also signed by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), ranking member of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Dan Sullivan (R-Ala.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).\n\nFull letter below:\n\nThe Honorable Tom Vilsack Secretary\n\nU.S. Department of Agriculture\n\n1400 Independence Avenue, Southwest\n\nWashington, D.C. 20250\n\nDear Secretary Vilsack,\n\nWe write today regarding our concerns with the United States Department of Agriculture\u2019s (USDA) Rural eConnecvity Pilot Program\u2019s (ReConnect) scoring criteria, which includes so-called \u201cnet neutrality\u201d commitments.\n\nThe buildout of broadband infrastructure, including to some of the most remote and rural areas of this country, has transformed our nation\u2019s economy and provided new opportunities for many Americans. The investment in broadband infrastructure by both small and large providers remains at an all-time high due to the light-touch regulatory approach taken by the federal government.\n\nAs you know, \u201cnet neutrality\u201d restrictions have been subject to much debate in Congress and at the Federal Communications Commission, the agency that oversees our nation\u2019s telecommunications policy. Any effort to impose unnecessary \u201cnet neutrality\u201d restrictions would be dangerous to our nation\u2019s dynamic broadband economy and threaten future investments in broadband infrastructure.\n\nFurther, it is deeply troubling that USDA is suggesting it has the authority much less the qualified staff and expertise to make determinations about \u201clawful Internet traffic.\u201d If USDA decides to make attempts at regulating the Internet absent authority from Congress, it would lead to tremendous legal and marketplace uncertainty.\n\nRather than attempting to impose monopoly-era regulations on broadband providers and politicizing the ReConnect program, we strongly urge you to reverse your decision to provide additional scoring points based on USDA\u2019s determination of what constitutes \u201cnet neutrality.\u201d\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:30:49Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=D812DAEA-6D66-430C-B239-9E06DC89A50A"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5614619478583336, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}