Vasquez wants to lock in rural broadband access — permanently

A new bipartisan bill would boost rural broadband speeds, funding and access — with a focus on underserved communities across southern New Mexico.

Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News

What’s happening:
U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez has introduced a bipartisan bill to make the USDA’s ReConnect Program permanent — and more powerful.

Why it matters:
Nearly 1 in 4 rural New Mexicans still lack reliable broadband, limiting access to school, health care, small business tools and modern farming tech.

“Every family and small business deserves access to high-speed internet, no matter their ZIP code,” Vasquez said.

The big idea:
The ReConnecting Rural America Act of 2025 would expand and codify ReConnect within federal law, giving rural communities more resources — and more reliable connections.

What the bill would do:

• 💸 Authorize $650 million annually through 2030
• 🚀 Set a new minimum speed standard: 100/100 Mbps
• 🎯 Target areas where 75% of households lack 100/20 Mbps
• 🏡 Prioritize small, remote and persistently poor communities
• 📶 Allow up to 100% grants for tribal areas and colonias
• 🌾 Support broadband for precision agriculture
• 💡 Require providers to participate in affordability programs like Lifeline

Who's backing it:

• U.S. Reps. Zach Nunn (R-IA) and Eric Sorensen (D-IL)
• National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association
• NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association

Between the lines:
Vasquez, a second-term Democrat representing New Mexico’s 2nd District, is framing the bill as both a digital equity effort and an economic development tool.

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