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Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., a ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, sharply criticized the NTIA to close out June.

Edited by Brad Randall, Broadband Communities

July 2, 2026 — In comments June 30 at a Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing on oversight of the NTIA, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. said the NTIA has mismanaged the BEAD program and defied congressional intent.

Rep. Pallone also accused Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth of implementing a “shady restructuring” that impounds billions of taxpayer dollars.

The Democrat from New Jersey continued, saying Lutnick’s policy, called “the benefit of the bargain,” bullied state broadband offices to produce reworked plans that favored Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

By forcing a reliance on low-Earth orbit satellites like Starlink, Rep. Pallone argued that the NTIA is creating lone monopolies and robbing middle-class families of consumer choice. He warned that taking thousands of miles of fiber off the map also unnecessarily condemns rural America to a temporary “band-aid” rather than a lasting infrastructure investment.

Furthermore, Rep. Pallone charged that the administration is failing to enforce statutory requirements for affordable, low-cost service options, driving up everyday costs for families. Due to these moving goalposts and federal mismanagement, broadband providers are now actively abandoning the program and surrendering their awards, Rep. Pallone says.

Some AI tools also assisted in the crafting of this report.

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