ICYMI: INCOMPAS SVP Staci Pies Testifies at Energy & Commerce Committee Hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 19, 2025 – Staci Pies, senior vice president, Government Relations and Policy, INCOMPAS testified at the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology on “Examining Solutions to Expedite Broadband Permitting.” Here are a few clips from the hearing where Pies discusses the importance of broadband permitting reform, why removing red tape is the key to the future of America’s global AI competitiveness and encourages permitting reform at railroad crossings via the RAIL Act. To watch the full hearing, click here.
Pies opening remarks in the Communications and Technology Subcommittee on “Examining Solutions to Expedite Broadband Permitting.”Chairman Hudson cuts straight to the heart of a hidden broadband bottleneck that’s slowing internet expansion across America. This revealing exchange exposes the complex web of regulations, state laws, and infrastructure challenges that are quietly hampering the nation’s broadband rollout.Chairman Guthrie poses the critical question that should keep every American awake at night: Is bureaucratic red tape handing our technological supremacy to our competitors? Watch as INCOMPAS’ Staci Pies responds to this urgent challenge about whether America’s cumbersome broadband permitting process is creating a national security vulnerability.Rep. Bob Latta dives into the human impact behind the policy debates. From students struggling with remote learning to rural patients who can’t access life-saving telehealth services, Pies reveals how regulatory delays aren’t just government inefficiency, but tangible barriers preventing American communities from accessing essential digital services.Can proposed permitting reforms deliver real savings on the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program? Watch as Rep. August Pfluger and Pies discuss whether streamlined regulations could stretch taxpayer dollars further while still connecting underserved communities.Rep. John Joyce exposes a frustrating reality that’s quietly sabotaging broadband expansion across Pennsylvania and beyond. INCOMPAS’ Pies reveals the real-world nightmares providers face when historic railroad rights-of-way become modern digital roadblocks.INCOMPAS’ Staci Pies shares how the proposed RAIL Act would cut through the regulatory maze that currently allows railroad companies to delay or block critical internet infrastructure projects. This revealing exchange exposes the specific bureaucratic obstacles that have turned simple railroad crossings into months-long permitting nightmares, and explores whether targeted legislation could finally give broadband providers the tools they need to connect underserved communities.
