Capito seeks USDA deadline extension for ReConnect program applicants

Due to the recent partial federal government shutdown, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) thinks the deadline should be extended for applicants seeking government funding from the new Rural eConnectivity Pilot Program (ReConnect).

Through ReConnect, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide up to $600 million in loans, grants and loan-grant combinations for the build-out of broadband infrastructure in rural America.

“As you know, on February 22, 2019, the USDA will finalize the application window for applicants to the ReConnect program,” Sen. Capito wrote in a Jan. 29 letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue. “Unfortunately, due to the recent government shutdown, agencies have not been working at full capacity.”

Therefore, the senator requested that Perdue extend the ReConnect application deadline by one month.

“An extension will help ensure applicants are receiving the assistance they need and the awards are being given to projects that achieve the program’s goals,” wrote Sen. Capito, who serves on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee.

In her letter to Perdue, Sen. Capito pointed out that the partial government shutdown only permitted the USDA to conduct one of the seven scheduled webinars on the ReConnect program.

“Timely technical assistance webinars and workshops are imperative to informing potential applicants, especially for a new pilot program,” the senator wrote. “As a result, I urge the USDA to extend all deadlines for ReConnect by one month.”

Sen. Capito reminded the secretary that the projects funded by the ReConnect grants will help those communities having less than 20,000 residents without broadband service or who lack sufficient broadband access.

Last year, Sen. Capito helped secure funds in the fiscal year 2018 federal budget for the ReConnect program and through her Capito Connect initiative, she’s made improving broadband connectivity and closing the digital divide in West Virginia a top priority, according to her office.

Additionally, the lawmaker last month joined Secretary Perdue in announcing the available ReConnect funds.

“Connectivity is essential for individuals, families, students, businesses, and communities to succeed. Without access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet, rural communities and rural states like West Virginia are being left behind when it comes to education, health care, job creation and retention, and overall economic potential,” Sen. Capito said on Dec. 13, 2018.

ReConnect and her Capito Connect programs, she added, “can help us close the digital divide, improve the lives of those living in our rural communities, and grow and diversify our economy.”