On Monday, May 13, 2024, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen visited the area. Yellen engaged in a roundtable discussion and delivered remarks as part of a program focused on broadband infrastructure. The event took place at Richland Baptist Church, located at 2482 Warrenton Road in Stafford County.
The visit centered around a broadband initiative funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. This initiative aims to expand access to reliable, high-speed internet. In 2022, Virginia received over $200 million in funding to expand high-quality broadband service through the American Rescue Plan’s Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF). This funding complements nearly $600 million in State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) being invested in broadband by the commonwealth and cities and counties throughout Virginia. Additionally, nearly $1.5 billion has been allocated to the commonwealth through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).