Comedy Central host John Stewart said he was “lost speech” on Thursday after New York Times columnist Ezra Cline outlined the lengthy process to implement the Biden administration's rural broadband proposal.
The $40 billion broadband project had not launched a single project in three years since it was signed in 2021 by then-President Joe Biden. Klein spent several minutes walking through increasingly incredible Stewart through a 14-step process to help the state acquire rural broadband. (Related: “Accountability is coming”: Joni Ernst sends Musk's dogge to spend on ideas worth a trillion dollars)
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“Step 12: The state must carry out a competitive sub-grant process,” Klein said almost four and a half minutes after his ordeal outline.
“Oh, my damn god,” cried Stewart as Klein continued to explain the process. “It's step 12… Did this happen after all?”
“Yeah, that didn't happen along the path here. We've now lost 17 more applicants,” Klein replied. “So, 30 out of 56 completed Step 12.”
Klein continued to outline the process through the last two steps. This procedure involved the state submitting proposals to the National Communications and Information Agency (NTIA) and reviewing the proposals before they put in the program. Klein said only three of the 56 jurisdictions reached step 13, as Stewart groaned.
“I'm speechless, Ezra,” Stewart said. “To be honest, as it is, um, it's much worse than I could have imagined. But the fact that they've amputated their own leg to this is so amazing.”
The Biden administration includes many regulatory hurdles in its plan, including requiring participating internet service providers to participate in environmental initiatives, requiring the use of members among other requirements detailed on page 98. document.
The Biden administration similarly paid more than $7 billion for a program that installed only seven chargers for electric vehicles as of April 2024.
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