The North Country is home to rural communities with vibrant local economies. Given the rural nature of the area, the need for reliable methods of transportation is in high demand. Congresswoman Stefanik has fought to deliver significant grand funding for North Country airports, bridges, ports, roads, waterways, and local sewer systems. She helped pass the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, signed into law by President Obama, to provide long-term certainty for surface infrastructure planning and investment. She is a strong advocate for many North Country local businesses in the transportation parts manufacturing sector that distribute products across the United States and around the world.

Improving Rural Infrastructure

Throughout her time in Congress, Congresswoman Stefanik has secured tens of millions of dollars in grant funding to support infrastructure projects including local sewer and drinking water systems, airport runway improvements, and repairs for roads and bridges. She has also been a consistent advocate for funding for the Essential Air Service (EIS) through the Department of Transportation, which services Massena, Ogdensburg, Watertown, Saranac Lake/Lake Placid and Plattsburgh Airports and boosts North Country tourism and travel.

Closing the Digital Divide

Congresswoman Stefanik is a leading voice in Congress advocating for the need to boost rural access to broadband for families, students, and small businesses. She fought to ensure New York was eligible for federal support from the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, and recently announced the FCC awarded more than $99 million in contracts to upstate New York for the deployment of broadband in previously unserved locations across the region. She also recently cosponsored the BOOST Act to provide tax incentives to families and households who rely on hotspots and supplemental technologies in order to improve broadband connectivity and speeds.

Congresswoman Stefanik is a member of the Congressional Rural Broadband Caucus.