Ezra Klein Stuns Jon Stewart by Detailing the Failures of Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’

KLEIN We have to ░░░░░░░░ the notice of funding ░░░░░░░░ within 180 days That ░░░░░░░░ step one Step two ░░░░░░░░ all 56 state applicants ░░░░░░░░ is states who want ░░░░░░░░ participate must submit a ░░░░░░░░ of intent After they ░░░░░░░░ that they can submit ░░░░░░░░ request for up to ░░░░░░░░ million in planning grants ░░░░░░░░ the NTIA step four ░░░░░░░░ to review and approve ░░░░░░░░ award again planning grants ░░░░░░░░ broadband grants planning grants ░░░░░░░░ And it s still ░░░░░░░░ the NTIA It s ░░░░░░░░ at the first step ░░░░░░░░ All right So the ░░░░░░░░ must issue a NOFO ░░░░░░░░ 180 days States who ░░░░░░░░ to participate must submit ░░░░░░░░ letter of intent Step ░░░░░░░░ they can request up ░░░░░░░░ 5 million in planning ░░░░░░░░ STEWART Just planning KLEIN ░░░░░░░░ planning Step four the ░░░░░░░░ are reviewed approved and ░░░░░░░░ by the NTIA which ░░░░░░░░ all 56 you know ░░░░░░░░ years later all 56 ░░░░░░░░ had passed through at ░░░░░░░░ step five It took ░░░░░░░░ than three years So ░░░░░░░░ s a long time ░░░░░░░░ must submit a five ░░░░░░░░ action plan STEWART oh ░░░░░░░░ God KLEIN So the ░░░░░░░░ kind of go back ░░░░░░░░ they kind of think ░░░░░░░░ how they re going ░░░░░░░░ do this And they ░░░░░░░░ t just say okay ░░░░░░░░ know thank you for ░░░░░░░░ money We re going ░░░░░░░░ spend it and you ░░░░░░░░ see how it worked ░░░░░░░░ later We re like ░░░░░░░░ s our five year ░░░░░░░░ plan Then the FCC ░░░░░░░░ publish the broadband data ░░░░░░░░ before NTIA allocates funds ░░░░░░░░ So having done the ░░░░░░░░ the letters of intent ░░░░░░░░ request for planning grants ░░░░░░░░ the review approval and ░░░░░░░░ of the planning grants ░░░░░░░░ oh my God KLEIN ░░░░░░░░ the five year action ░░░░░░░░ In between the federal ░░░░░░░░ has to put forward ░░░░░░░░ map saying where it ░░░░░░░░ we need rural broadband ░░░░░░░░ And then of course ░░░░░░░░ states need an opportunity ░░░░░░░░ challenge the map for ░░░░░░░░ And you can imagine ░░░░░░░░ doesn t all happen ░░░░░░░░ like a day OK ░░░░░░░░ then the NTIA step ░░░░░░░░ has to use the ░░░░░░░░ maps to make allocation ░░░░░░░░ Then having already done ░░░░░░░░ letter of intent their ░░░░░░░░ for planning grants it ░░░░░░░░ hard even to talk ░░░░░░░░ this man Step seven ░░░░░░░░ NTIA must use the ░░░░░░░░ maps that were already ░░░░░░░░ for allocation decisions Then ░░░░░░░░ submitted all this I ░░░░░░░░ this one is actually ░░░░░░░░ amazing STEWART Yeah KLEIN ░░░░░░░░ submitted their five year ░░░░░░░░ or letters of intent ░░░░░░░░ eight is states must ░░░░░░░░ an initial proposal an ░░░░░░░░ porosal to the NTIA ░░░░░░░░ STEWART Is that the ░░░░░░░░ of their 5 million ░░░░░░░░ fund This initial proposal ░░░░░░░░ I assume but then ░░░░░░░░ was the five year ░░░░░░░░ STEWART And what the ░░░░░░░░ did they apply for ░░░░░░░░ was their NOFO God ░░░░░░░░ Like if the five ░░░░░░░░ action plan isn t ░░░░░░░░ initial proposal then what ░░░░░░░░ the five year action ░░░░░░░░ Forget NOFO KLEIN OK ░░░░░░░░ MOFO KLEIN Step nine ░░░░░░░░ must review and approve ░░░░░░░░ state s again initial ░░░░░░░░ By my read we ░░░░░░░░ had at least two ░░░░░░░░ proposals here but that ░░░░░░░░ a different issue STEWART ░░░░░░░░ my gosh KLEIN Step ░░░░░░░░ states must publish their ░░░░░░░░ map and allow internal ░░░░░░░░ to their own map ░░░░░░░░ the government has published ░░░░░░░░ map They have invited ░░░░░░░░ states to challenge the ░░░░░░░░ Then states have submitted ░░░░░░░░ proposals and they then ░░░░░░░░ to publish their own ░░░░░░░░ and allow challenges STEWART ░░░░░░░░ who s challenging it ░░░░░░░░ the state KLEIN Well ░░░░░░░░ interest groups environmental groups ░░░░░░░░ Oh my gosh KLEIN ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ specifically but literally anybody ░░░░░░░░ is STEWART Right KLEIN ░░░░░░░░ want to say something ░░░░░░░░ it s very important ░░░░░░░░ say this This is ░░░░░░░░ Biden Administration s process ░░░░░░░░ its own bill They ░░░░░░░░ this to happen This ░░░░░░░░ how liberal government works ░░░░░░░░ STEWART This is something ░░░░░░░░ instituted for this bill ░░░░░░░░ For their bill This ░░░░░░░░ a bill STEWART Oh ░░░░░░░░ KLEIN passed by Democrats ░░░░░░░░ a regulatory structure written ░░░░░░░░ Democratic administration OK STEWART ░░░░░░░░ KLEIN Step eleven the ░░░░░░░░ must review and improve ░░░░░░░░ challenge results and the ░░░░░░░░ map So the NTIA ░░░░░░░░ put forward a map ░░░░░░░░ states have challenged that ░░░░░░░░ Then the states have ░░░░░░░░ forward their maps had ░░░░░░░░ challenges and now the ░░░░░░░░ must review and approve ░░░░░░░░ challenges to the state ░░░░░░░░ OK So step we ░░░░░░░░ done step eleven NTIA ░░░░░░░░ review and approve challenge ░░░░░░░░ and final map We ░░░░░░░░ lost nine of the ░░░░░░░░ at that point Step ░░░░░░░░ states must run a ░░░░░░░░ sub granting process STEWART ░░░░░░░░ my f God At ░░░░░░░░ 11 after all this ░░░░░░░░ been done KLEIN Yeah ░░░░░░░░ of that could have ░░░░░░░░ along the way here ░░░░░░░░ have now lost 17 ░░░░░░░░ applicants So now 30 ░░░░░░░░ 56 have completed step ░░░░░░░░ Step 13 states must ░░░░░░░░ a final proposal All ░░░░░░░░ proposals weren t enough ░░░░░░░░ NTIA Now that goes ░░░░░░░░ 3 of 56 So ░░░░░░░░ ve gone in the ░░░░░░░░ couple of steps from ░░░░░░░░ I had gone to ░░░░░░░░ point to 3 of ░░░░░░░░ Step 14 the NTIA ░░░░░░░░ review and approve the ░░░░░░░░ s final proposal And ░░░░░░░░ is 3 of the ░░░░░░░░ jurisdictions and states are ░░░░░░░░ In summary states are ░░░░░░░░ at the finish line ░░░░░░░░ it says to stop ░░░░░░░░ progress now or worse ░░░░░░░░ make them go backwards ░░░░░░░░ be a stick in ░░░░░░░░ spokes of the most ░░░░░░░░ broadband deployment plans we ░░░░░░░░ ever seen End scene ░░░░░░░░ I m speechless Ezra ░░░░░░░░ like it s a ░░░░░░░░ worse than I could ░░░░░░░░ imagined But the fact ░░░░░░░░ they amputated their own ░░░░░░░░ on this is what ░░░░░░░░ so stunning.”