National Association of Realtors® President Charlie Oppler issued the following statement applauding Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Angus King (I-Maine) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) for their introduction of the Broadband Reform and Investment to Drive Growth in the Economy (BRIDGE) Act of 2021.

"Broadband is critical for the financial, social and physical health of every neighborhood in this country, a fact that has become even more apparent in the wake of COVID-19," said Oppler, a Realtor® from Franklin Lakes, N.J., and the CEO of Prominent Properties Sotheby's International. "NAR is thrilled to see federal lawmakers taking concrete steps that acknowledge the importance of broadband access, particularly in historically underserved communities. We thank Senators Bennet, King and Portman for working in a bipartisan fashion to make meaningful change, and we look forward to doing whatever we can to see this legislation signed into law."

The BRIDGE Act would make a number of policy changes, including:

• Provide $40 billion to ensure all Americans have access to affordable, high-speed broadband.
  
  
• Prioritize unserved, underserved, and high-cost areas with investments designed to meet communities' long-term needs while promoting broadband affordability and digital inclusion.
  
  
• Encourage gigabit-level internet wherever possible while raising the minimum speeds for new broadband networks in regions where this is technologically and financially practicable.

The National Association of Realtors® is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.