The vote on the bill was 69-30.
The legislation now must be passed by the House.
Senators have spent the past week working on nearly two dozen amendments to the 2,700-page bill.
But none of the amendments offered any substantial change to the framework of the legislation.
It’s a problem known as the digital divide, and it’sdogged policy makers for years.
Big news, folks: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal has officially passed the Senate.
This includes more than $40 billion for broadband deployment and $14.2 billion for broadband-affordability programs.
It also includes $2.75 billion in digital inclusion grants to help improve digital literacy.
The bill calls for making permanent a subsidy program that would be administered by the Federal Communications Commission.
“Today’s vote shows that era is over.
The funding for the program came from congressional COVID relief funding.
This practice, known as redlining, has historically existed in housing, banking and insurance.
“This is discrimination, pure and simple, and it must be ended.”
What’s next?
It isn’t expected to arrive there until after House members return from their summer recess on Sept. 20.
House Democrats aren’t expected to make dramatic changes to the infrastructure bill.
