The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Contains Timely Investments. Now is the Time to Pass it.

September 14, 2021

The U.S. Congress is on the cusp of approving transformative, timely infrastructure investments in American businesses and communications technology. The Senate-passed $1 trillion proposal is imperative for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) businesses to recover from COVID-related economic hardship and prosper for decades to come. The bill will not only expand and make permanent the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), but it will also provide $65 billion in funding to improve internet access and support digital skills training to unleash the power of the internet for everyone. National ACE commends the Senate for acting on this legislation, and we are now calling on the House of Representatives and the Biden Administration to approve this legislation.

AAPIs, as well as many minority-owned businesses, continue to suffer greatly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Language within the infrastructure bill to expand and make permanent the MBDA is a step in the right direction toward the recovery of minority-owned businesses. Investments made to strengthen the MBDA will help the nearly 2 million AAPI-owned small businesses rebound from the pandemic and have second-order economic and social benefits for the 3.5 million people employed by these enterprises.

While the MBDA keeps businesses afloat, broadband internet keeps brick-and-mortar businesses innovating. Whether it’s e-commerce, data analytics, or cybersecurity, broadband is the backbone of these innovations. We believe that internet access and opportunity are intertwined. That’s why National ACE was encouraged to see that the Senate infrastructure proposal aligns with this sentiment by dedicating $65 billion toward improving internet access and increasing digital skills.

Notably, the bill includes $42.45 billion for deploying broadband infrastructure. These dollars will go a long way in connecting unconnected AAPI-owned businesses within the hard-hit food services and retail industries. Even more, the bill contains $2.75 billion to support digital skills and literacy programs to make it easier for businesses to use internet tools.

Yet, the unlimited power of broadband is not limited only to businesses. Workers – both employed and unemployed – stand to gain from new communications technology. The $42.45 billion in broadband deployment funding will require more fiber to be laid, additional towers to be built, and new software to be programmed. 

Asian and Pacific Islander Americans are in a unique position to benefit from these investments. Asian American workers make up 27% of all technology sector workers and comprise the largest proportion of IT workers of any ethnic group. However, despite these new workforce opportunities, we must recognize that there are smaller groups within the AAPI community that are suffering from high rates of poverty and facing long-term unemployment. Universal broadband will serve to bridge the digital divide so those who are bearing today’s economic brunt can also share in tomorrow’s opportunities. 

With each passing day, more and more minority-owned businesses continue to struggle. We simply cannot allow our businesses and workforce to fall behind. The bipartisan infrastructure bill’s investments in both the MBDA and broadband internet will enable AAPI businesses to thrive into the future. The bill’s investments are both transformative and timely. Now is the time to pass it.