O’Rielly Wants Lutnick to Help Kill USDA’s Broadband Programs

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2026 – Can you have too much of a good thing?  Former Republican FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly seems to think so. 

In an op-ed published Wednesday, O’Rielly called on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to oppose the renewal of three broadband programs run through the Department of Agriculture, arguing that National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) program and the FCC’s Universal Service Fund make these programs unnecessary. 

“In light of progress in deploying BEAD funding and the resulting network extensions to unserved Americans that will soon begin, existing USDA-related programs should be halted,” O’Rielly said. “Doing so would ensure that BEAD can succeed and that taxpayers don’t pay for the same thing twice.” 

The three programs O'Rielly mentioned were the Re-Connect Loan and Grant Program, the Community Connect Grants, and Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants, all intended to serve rural or economically disadvantaged communities around the country. 

Among the three programs, O’Rielly noted that the USDA spends $109 million, which he said could be put to a different use now that BEAD and the USF are providing billions of dollars focusing on essentially the same issues of access and affordability. 

“To be clear, broadband spending duplication not only wastes money but also causes demonstrable harm,” O’Rielly said. “Specifically, funding awarded to providers under ReConnect, the DLT and Broadband Program, and Community Connects Grants is very likely to be used in areas directly targeted for BEAD funding.” 

The USDA programs were appropriated through the Farm Bill, a massive legislative package that covered a slew of agriculture programs, renewed on a five-year cycle. The current package is set to expire this fiscal year. 

Congress is currently working through the next draft of the Farm Bill, which would extend these three programs through 2031. According to the USDA’s website, all broadband loans and grants issued under the previous Farm Bill have been allocated and are awaiting guidance on future offerings. 

The BEAD program, a $42.45 billion broadband expansion program established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure law, is starting to send funds out the door after much delay. 

 NTIA, which oversees the program, has approved all but four revised proposals from states and territories, after it had canceled all previous approvals under the “Benefit of the Bargain" reforms mandated by Lutnick. These reforms brought the deployment cost of the program down to about $21 billion. 

The agency was  still crafting guidance for states to claim the remaining $21 billion in non-deployment funds. NTIA said it would make an announcement shortly.