Editor, Gazette-Journal:

I want to respond to Mr. Olekszyk’s letter to the editor (“Taking credit,” Dec. 16 Readers Write) regarding my support for broadband throughout Virginia’s First District. His letter points to the fact that I did not support H.R. 3684, the recently passed Infrastructure and Jobs Act; however, his letter fails to point out that there are a number of ways to support broadband expansion, many of which I have been a champion of throughout Virginia’s First District for years.

I always have and will always support funding reliable broadband expansion in Virginia’s First District. I did not support H.R. 3684 because of the many unnecessary and non-infrastructure related projects added by Democrats that severely increased inflation and added to our nation’s soaring debt.

However, through my continual support for the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative and Private-Public Partnerships (P3s) and through introducing, and passing, many pieces of broadband expans...