WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following the Senate passage of the bipartisan Rural Broadband Protection Act. The bill, which Klobuchar leads with Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a more thorough vetting process to ensure that providers applying for federal funding are capable of delivering reliable broadband access to underserved, rural communities. 

“We should be able to bring high-speed internet to every family in Minnesota— regardless of their zip code,” said Klobuchar. “This bipartisan legislation will help Americans connect to work, school, health care, and business opportunities by ensuring the companies that apply for federal funding to build out broadband infrastructure can get the job done. As co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, I’ll keep fighting to close the digital divide and ensure Minnesota families can reliably access the high-speed internet they need.” 

“I have long been dedicated to making sure West Virginians have the broadband connectivity they need and deserve. This legislation expands on my previous broadband efforts, and is a product of many discussions I’ve had with small rural service providers and local leaders in West Virginia. As we continue our efforts to close the digital divide in West Virginia – this bill will make sure that Universal Service Fund dollars are not wasted, and ensure that funding is being used properly to fund broadband deployment in rural areas. The Senate passage of this legislation is another positive step in connecting every last home, school, and business in West Virginia. I urge the House to quickly pass this legislation,” Capito said.

Klobuchar has long led efforts to expand broadband access, support rural broadband, and bridge the digital divide.

The Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, Klobuchar’s legislation with Former House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) to expand high-speed internet nationwide, served as the basis for the program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Klobuchar is working hard to ensure the program is implemented expeditiously and as Congress intended. In June 2025, after the Department of Commerce announced substantial changes to the implementation of the BEAD program, she and Former House Majority Whip Clyburn called on the Administration to reverse course and fully implement broadband. 

Klobuchar is also committed to strengthening the  Universal Service Fund (USF), which promotes universal access to broadband and other telecommunications services and supports critical connections for schools, libraries and healthcare facilities in rural communities. Currently, the USF is primarily funded through landline fees, disproportionately impacting seniors, who are more likely to use landlines than other Americans. In June 2025, she again joined the USF Working Group to improve this funding structure. In January 2025, she joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of upholding the USF. The Court ruled in their favor in June 2025. In March 2023, Klobuchar also reintroduced bipartisan legislation, with Senators John Thune (R-SD), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Jerry Moran (R-KS), to strengthen the USF’s funding mechanism.