Underground Construction - February 2021 - 31

Strong voice in Washington
As the coronavirus spread across the country, the Department of
Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security
Agency (CISA) provided guidance intended to help state and
local officials decide which industry sectors should continue
normal operations during this crisis. On March 20, PCCA sent a
letter to CISA urging it to include those who work on broadband
and power systems on any and all lists of " essential " workers
maintained by CISA or any federal/state entity.
To ensure that PCCA associate members were included in
this effort, the letter stated that " as the federal government
continues to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, it's
important to recognize all facets of the construction industry,
including contractors, manufacturers, and all service providers
who collectively assure broadband and electric services are
included on the list of essential services. " These efforts proved
successful, as the vast majority of utility construction workers
were included in the second version of the CISA guidance, and
references to the importance of broadband work was rampant
throughout the guidance.
In March, PCCA supported the establishment of the Paycheck
Protection Program (PPP), which allowed small businesses
to pay their employees and cover many critical non-payroll
expenses through federally guaranteed loans. In June, as
economic conditions worsened, PCCA supported several
effective changes to the PPP and in December, the association
successfully fought for a congressional interpretation that
clarified that business expenses paid for with the proceeds of
PPP loans are, in fact, tax deductible.
As always, PCCA battled for increased funding for power and
communications infrastructure. Top priority was ensuring that
high-speed broadband service remained a national priority, as
keeping America connected is now more important than ever
before. Countless hospitals have been near or at full capacity,
many schools and other critical buildings remain closed or have
significantly reduced access, and remote-work directives all
underscore the importance of reliable access to broadband.
In 2020, PCCA supported several funding vehicles for
broadband deployment, but stressed that strong oversight
should accompany the allocation of federal dollars to ensure

that these resources are spent in the most effective way.
PCCA has long supported policy that encourages the use of
fiber-optic broadband infrastructure, which is clearly the only
material proven to be able to provide broadband service to
meet current and future demand. To that end, PCCA believes
speed requirements of 100/100 Mpbs should be included in the
eligibility criteria to access any federal support dollars used for
broadband deployment.
PCCA held two Washington " fly-ins " in 2020, one in early
February when members traveled to our nation's capital to
deliver a powerful pro-business, pro-infrastructure message
across Capitol Hill. For the second one, in July, members
attended virtual meetings with representatives from the
offices of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, FCC Commissioners
Michael O'Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel, House Majority Whip

During the 2020 Convention, members salute Ron Tagliapietra upon his
induction into the PCCA Hall of Fame.

PCCA 76TH ANNUAL CONVENTION
March 5-10
Naples Grande Beach Resort / Naples, Fla.

During the PCCA Convention, Past President and Hall of Famer Herb
Fluharty appeals to members to help raise funds to build roofs in Bahamian
communities ravaged by Hurricane Dorian.
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Underground Construction - February 2021

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