Biden Touts Broadband Among Stimulus Funding, Although Nearly No Funds Released

Vice President Joe Biden gave an update on Thursday of the grants issued under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, including broadband. Although practically no funds have yet been issued for broadband, the subject was included in the update of programs that are a part of the “president’s overall commitment to a lay a new foundation for economic growth in the 21st century” – together with smart grid, high-speed rail and health information technology.

Biden said that, “As we enter the final quarter of 2009, we’re going to build on that progress with investments in new technology and infrastructure that create good jobs and keeps us on a path toward economic growth.” The Obama administration claimed that ARRA was responsible for approximately one million jobs so far. At the same time, the administration said that more than 170 projects that were halted or modified because of concerns that the money could be better spent elsewhere, Biden said.

Some of the halted or modified projects include projects from the Department of Defense, Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Transportation, General Services Administration and Department of Agriculture.