Cspan created by americas cabletelevision companies as a Public Service and brought to you today by your television provider. Host this week join is on the communicators this representative bob latta, the Top Republican on the communications and Technology Subcommittee and our guest reporter is sam sabin of Morning Consult. Congressman latta joining us from bowling green, ohio, there are then several proposals put out to expand world broadband especially in this time of covid. Which ones are you supporting and which ones do you think would benefit your largely rural district . Guest thanks so much for having me on. Its really important we do talking about world broadband. Ive been engaged in this for years and one of the cofounders of the probroadband caucus and with groups that a meeting all the time because this is not a republican or democrat raided the issue. This affects everyone in the rural areas. Its important for us to get this out as soon as we can especially during this covid19, weve really seen the effects and what can be done when we have the broadband out in our rural areas. Everything from telehealth, ive talked to some of doctors that say its been a savior out there that people have telehealth. But then came if you have access and java problem, so its one of the first things ive heard people on telehealth site. Also on educational side in the state of ohio when you start closing the schools and decide we will have the kids do it remotely from home, tell education, again if youre a student of the consummate very like parts of my district that did not have any broadband they are in trouble. Weve seen above, billions of dollars going into it now not only on the education side but also the fcc them i would put it on for the telehealth aside, for role broadband, right across the entire line its very important and also on the rural side because like precision agriculture piece of legislation would help our farmers. Its really important we get it out here and we have to get it out here now. Host congressman latta to expand this across the country how much money we talking about the role broadband . Guest world broadband is very important for all of us in our rural areas across the country. I been involved in this for years, one of the cofounders on the rural caucus for getting broadband out but to get the dollars out there we first of all have to accurate maps and thats one of the things is working on in the last congress and this congress to make sure broadband data with accurate maps. A couple years ago when the fcc brought their maps out, if you know your district you know exactly where you have your dead spots and i knew right off the bat that the northwest, central west about the maps i was looking at were not accurate. You want to make sure before you expend any dollars you are spending the dollars we need them especially in our unserved areas. With underserved areas that we have to get into the unserved areas, that 5 that is out there. Its important we do that because again as a mention we have to have for telehealth, we have to have it for our educational system. We also have to make sure precision agriculture out there which is my legislation in the farm belt. Host lets bring sam sabin of Morning Consult into this conversation. Thanks for being here. Id love to continue along these lines of discussing world broadband and how we find that expansion also talk about the bill we are seeing in congress from a rate of different lawmakers in recent weeks. Feels like every week theres at least a handful of new broadband bills, it so hard to keep up. Im curious if your concern at all although this interest in so many lawmakers its wonderful and great. Im curious if concerned this could be creating too much noise and it might be hard for lawmakers to find a path forward as with we thinking about how o expand both access and affordability for broadband moving forward . Guest when youre looking at broadband and giving out its important we Work Together. This is across the aisle. It cant be a republican or democrat piece of legislation. It will have to be one we all work on and come together on. One of the great things about the energy and Commerce Committee in the last several congresses, the number of bills that it come out of our committee in a bipartisan manner and i believe in the last congress when greg walden was chairman, i think 93 of the bills that came out of our committee were bipartisan. We need to Work Together to make sure we have good piece of legislation because again we have to be talking to each other to make sure it gets done. Again, its not cheap in how were going to get it done so when youre looking at the spectrum auctions out there and legislation that is out there as to how it we might be able to utilize funds at auction to get the broadband across the country. Of course. In that same regard when comes to funding, chairman pai from the fcc is called on congress to further fund the keep americans connected pledge so that we companies can continue to allow customers who may be been impacted by the economic upheaval of the pandemic to be able to keep their Internet Service and not risk determination. What are the Odds Congress will take up that call . Guest first i commend the chairman for getting out there. When you look at the hundreds and hundreds of companies that made that pledge to make sure that people were not cut off, and when you think about again the situation were in out here especially in rural areas, having that access is your lifeline. I can from you name it, telehealth, education, down the line its important it is there. I think its been a very good program that is put together and its something that as a go forward weve seen a resurgence of some parts of the country, and that some folks might not be able to get back to work as soon as they would like. Its great to see where the unemployment is going in the downward trend but i think the chairman has led the way on this to make sure people can stay connected. Of course and go ahead. Host i just wanted to say, if you could move your computer just a little closer. We dont want to lose your audio with these words i i also wanto ask you about the maps. Because all of the mapping i have never heard one person say the mapping is accurate. Why has that been the case for so many years . Guest thats a good question on the maps because again as these were bring drawn up through the years and look at im not sure how the data was being inputted in. Its important that began when we looked at those maps as members that, and i have very good relations with the commissioners at the fcc, and they put a call over and said something is wrong, these things are not right. Everybody starts saying that. Its a good thing. What happened was they admitted at the fcc, you know what, we have to look at this, we do have a problem. We put money out there to get these maps correct. We had legislation which i i ws part of right from the getgo, and the its important we get t done. Again if the maps are not right when you are going after get the dollars into the areas we need to have them, it wont happen. In some cases you might be putting money into aries that already have services underserved areas and not getting those dollars into the unserved areas. Host go ahead, sam sabin. Great. You brought up the issue of virtual classes and sharing that broadband is available for schools. Of course if the pandemic continues its unclear whether or not schools will be in person or virtual, but say they are to a virtual space in the fall, what concerns you have about a students and teachers and other School Officials access the internet . Guest when you talk about the kids going back to school its important. I have talked to so many parents that want to see the kids back in school this fall and in some cases it will not be this fall. Some schools mcnary will start the second or third week of august and so were looking at just a little over a month before classes will start resuming. In some areas theyre talking about having students do maybe some days in class and other days virtual. This is important because again from the federal side the dollars we put out there to help the schools make sure that they have the dollars to be able to buy the computer for the ipad or whatever the schools need, and making sure that the of the internet connection. Because again we offered during the beginning of this that local libraries or places would have wifi hotspots for their students. That they could come into and we dont want kids to have to go to a Fast Food Restaurant to be able to get it and in some cases they are close because of whats happening. You can only go through drivethrough. Its important we get the dollars out there. But again we see a lot of money come out for k12 and weve also a dollars that event appropriated out there on the college side because thats also point to talk about. We have so many students in college that dont want to have their College Career interrupted and the universe you sent them home sink will do this online. I have talked to Different University professors and so far theyve said its worked. They have worked. Overall, its important as a look at in the next month, month and a half, tens of millions of students going back to school that want to make sure that they are in class if they can be and that local districts will make those decisions and how theyll have the kids separated in the classes and also if theyre going to be using it on the virtual side. Of course. And so with that of course conversations are starting again about a possible stimulus bill that could be passed by the end of this month or august or so. Im curious how much you like to see dedicated to broadband in this upcoming stimulus bill. It feels like in the last few there hasnt been a lot dedicated to this issue. Guest when you look at the next stimulus that will be tough to talk about because when you look at the ppp program extending, doing an extension there, theres quite a bit of money that was left over that had been appropriate and not spend so make sure get out there for keeping businesses open. Theres a lot of talk to figure out do we go forward . And if we do go, some of the reports out there say it might be a much more scaleddown piece of legislation than when you look at the one that was 1. 2 trillion. Host congressman latta, one of the bills the house the past is the infrastructure bill. You agree that broadband should be included as an infrastructure item . Guest when you looked at those what democrats put out, it was a democrat piece of legislation. It at no the public and input t all, and so as you go forward again you have to have munication between the democrats working on legislation and not just being a oneway street. And but again on the funding side as we go forward theres legislation that is out there that says using that 10 of the spectrum auctions through september 2022 would be another way to help the dollars out there when were talking about getting involved across the country. So maybe switching gears attach, i would love to discuss the lifeline programs. Recent data shows only about one quarter of those who qualify for the Program Subsidizes internet and phone services for low income americans only about a quarter of those who qualify the program are currently enrolled in it. Im curious to hear why you think that is a what role congress can play it any and ensuring more people about the program and sign up to take advantage of it tragic this is like a lot of Different Things. Folks to know that a program is available and its just like when the coronavirus hit we did several tele town halls and can information out to people across our district saying what might be available, what you could be, how to access it but communications is a big part of it. Knowing where to look. I know looking at all the abcs of the federal government i know when i was looking at Different Things i would say it would be great, if you go to this one spot you can find it. What we would do is we would take whatever the agencies would have and put onto our homepage for my office so people could pull up and see a special thing they could pop up and say heres something out there that you might want to be looking at. Of course. I guess what im hearing is its ensuring that people just know about the programs so how would we coordinate such a program to ensure people are actually telling those who are qualified that hey, this program exists and you can sign up for it . Guest and again its the communication thing. Last year i had a seminar for Senior Citizens on stamps, and so i had folks out from the ftc and the irs that help conduct it. So much of it is getting information out there. In this case it was directed at seniors. We need to get this information out to all the Senior Centers and so people that are coming in know about it. You have to look at where people would be gathering, and again we have a problem right now the folks might not be able to come into some places but getting it out, giving information about the people where theyre at so they know it is there. And with that, several attributes have been calling on congress to perhaps expand the amount that lifeline subsidizes during the Public Health emergency. Is that something you would support raising the amount . Guest and again you have to look at the dollars and where they coming from, and thats one of the things that ive not heard on our site being discussed right now but part of it is just make sure that people know that something is available to be accessed. Host congressman latta, with all the heads of the Tech Companies come to washington for hearing, in your view what is the repetition of Silicon Valley right now in washington . Guest it depends who youre talking with an information is getting out. We want to make sure especially when were looking at 230 whats happening there is the sword and the shield. We want to make sure were getting accurate information. It was less than a couple of years ago when we were having some of the data breaches after that we had tech force but its making sure that theyre getting as i could information, and we can work from and that they are telling us as it is. Because again we cant legislate, and other folks cant regulate, if we dont have the right information. So if youre looking at the whole issue as to who is controlling the information out there, and we want to make sure it is free flow under the first amendment, and under the section that gives them the protection through the years, it is the sword and the shield. They can take certain content down but at the same time they wouldnt be held liable. But we dont have the situation were all of a sudden somebody out there or someone or some group within the company, lets say, the same we find this offensive, thats free speech. It could be the other parties that they dont hold two, free speech. So again this is what its important that folks realize that in a democracy we have to make sure we have the free flow of information so that information gets out there. Because again you have to make informed decisions. Host a lot of people say section 230 originally sponsored by senator ron wyden and chris cox is a reason the internet is a vibrant. Do you think it needs to be reformed at this time . Guest if youre going to do a thing with 230 in my opinion you have to really look at it, but at the same time it is therefore a recent pic we want to make sure we do that free flow of information out there, that again its interesting today where people are getting their information from. Its not from the traditional sources that have been out there years ago. It just to be maybe people watched the 11 00 news at night and now it is the local paper. Today that information is going across the internet from everywhere and so in a lot of cases people really need to make sure theyre looking at multiple sources to make sure that sometimes you have to, its just like in my office, you find something and say this is great, we ought to put this out. Do you have a second source for that . If we cant find the second source its that something we want to use. But when you think about again how people will tell me, and ive had constituents actions tell me this, that and ask them if they get something, i i foud it on the internet. I said you know, everything on internet is not always true. I think people tell me, it has to be true because you cant put anything on the internet that is not true. Thats why we had to people at the really looking at things and different sources. I think its really important that we do a debt free flow of information and the internet has served a great purpose, but as i say you cant have one side saying we will control the speech thats out there. Because we dont like your position on something. Thats not the purpose. 230 was to make sure if theres bad content, you can get rid of it and you will not be held liable. Host sam sabin. With regards to section 230 weve seen some are Bipartisan Group of senators introducing amendments to section 230 were hearing Jan Schakowsky from house energy and Commerce Committee is working on her own amendment. Do you think we could see House Republicans possibly introducing their own amendment to section 230 or even hopping on the bandwagon with a few of the other bills weve seen . Guest and again to come up with a good piece of legislation its going to take bipartisanship. It cant be a oneway street. Anything that we come up with on 230, my opinion, and again its going to have everybody seated at the table to come up with it because again if we have a piece of legislation that comes out thats totally partisan, in fact, you might get it to the house on a oneway vote but its going down in the senate. When you look at the number of days we have left on the calendar in this congress, its really important that things that we need to get done are done and are bipartisan manner. Of course. Maybe in the line of thinking of scrutiny against Tech Companies, this week the Trump Administration said it was mulling a possible ban of tiktok which is the app that is very popular with generation z and is owned by a chineseba