February 18, 2026

The Honorable Arielle Roth

Administrator

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20230

          Re:  The Use of BEAD Funds Saved Through the Trump Administration’s Benefit of the Bargain Reforms

Dear Administrator Roth,

On behalf of the more than one million members and supporters of Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), I write to thank you for the opportunity to allow CAGW Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs Deborah Collier to participate in the listening session on February 11, 2026, regarding the Use of BEAD Funds Saved Through the Trump Administration’s Benefit of the Bargain Reforms.  I would like to elaborate on CAGW’s position on what should be done with the surplus funds after the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s (IIJA) deployment goals are met.

The purpose of the BEAD program is to connect unserved and underserved communities across the country to the internet.  CAGW is concerned that states may want to use the surplus funds for programs unrelated to the provisions of the IIJA, like creating government-owned networks where broadband access already exists and building projects unrelated to providing broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved areas of the country.  For example, Louisiana’s final proposal included the use of surplus funds to expand rural healthcare access, develop workforce programs and implement a virtual learning and virtual tutoring program.

The June 6, 2025, Notice of Funding Opportunity enhanced the BEAD program and allowed states to find savings through the benefit of the bargain.  The anticipated savings could reach $21 billion, meaning that only half of the $42.45 billion allocated by Congress for the program would be spent for deployment.  With the national debt at $38.7 trillion, states should not be permitted to spend BEAD funds in any manner unless it was authorized in the IIJA.  Any savings should benefit the taxpayers and be returned to the Treasury.

Again, I appreciate your consideration of our views and look forward to answering any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Tom Schatz

President