Rep. Cleaver Applauds $76 Million Investment in Missouri to Expand Rural Broadband from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

(Kansas City, MO) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement that Missouri will receive $76,000,000 in federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, otherwise known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to expand high-speed internet in rural communities across the state. Through the ReConnect Program, which is designed to support the most difficult broadband projects in the country and received increased investments through President Biden’s infrastructure law, the funding will connect thousands of rural residents, farmers, and business owners to reliable broadband. Congressman Cleaver was the only Representative from Missouri to support President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which has already allocated more than $4.1 billion in infrastructure funding for the Show Me State.

“There is nothing that America can’t accomplish when we put partisanship aside and focus on the needs of American people—and there’s no greater example of that than President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which continues to deliver for Missourians all over our great state,” said Congressman Cleaver. “As another $76 million heads to Missouri to provide high-speed internet to rural communities, not only will this unlock greater economic opportunity in underserved communities that are too often overlooked, but it will create a lot of quality jobs in the process. That’s something I think every Missourian can get behind, and that’s why I was proud to support the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”

“Keeping the people of rural America connected with reliable, high-speed internet brings new and innovative ideas to the rest of our country and creates good-paying jobs along the way,” Secretary Vilsack said. “Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are connecting rural communities to a global marketplace. These investments will support economic growth and prosperity for generations to come.”

Today’s high-speed internet investments are part of the fourth funding round of the ReConnect Program. Applicants to ReConnect Program funding must serve a rural area that lacks access to service at speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload. Applicants must also commit to building facilities capable of providing high-speed internet service with speeds of 100 Mbps (download and upload) to every location in the proposed service area. Additionally, to ensure that rural households that need internet service can afford it, all awardees will be required to apply to participate in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP offers a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service to qualifying low-income households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal Lands.

A full list of projects from today’s announcement is available here.

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.