The bill, among other things, includes the Digital Equity Act that would help expand broadband to American communities that currently lack access to the internet.

Slipped into the legislation are provisions allocating federal funding based on the number of newly arrived immigrants in a state or region — a design that rewards blue states who tend to have the largest foreign-born populations in the nation.

As the legislation states, the Department of Commerce would set up a grant program to states to fund broadband expansion. The formula used for those grants is as follows:

50 percent of the total grant amount shall be based on the population of the eligible State in proportion to the total population of all eligible States.

25 percent of the total grant amount shall be based on the number of individuals in the eligible State who are members of covered populations in proportion to the total number of individuals in all eligible States who are members of covered populations.

25 percent of the total grant amount shall be based on the comparative lack of availability and adoption of broadband in the eligible State in proportion to the lack of availability and adoption of broadband of all eligible States…

Those considered part of the “covered populations” that a state’s grant money would be tied to — depending on how large this group is — newly arrived immigrants to the U.S. who speak little-to-no English.

The legislation defines these newly arrived immigrants as “individuals with a language barrier, including individuals who are English learners and have low levels of literacy.” Other groups in the “covered populations” include veterans, disabled Americans, nonwhite Americans, rural Americans, and incarcerated Americans.

The provision indicates blue states who help drive up immigration levels to the U.S. with generous public benefits, sanctuary policies, and concentrations of wealth with large income inequalities are set to benefit immensely from the legislation included in the bill.

California, for example, would be the primary winner of the legislation with a foreign-born population at about 24 percent, the highest in the nation. Behind California is Texas, with a foreign-born population of nearly 11 percent, Florida with a foreign-born population of 9.8 percent, and New York with a foreign-born population of 10 percent.

More importantly, the nation’s top 10 counties with the highest foreign-born populations are primarily deep blue areas controlled by Democrats including Los Angeles County, California; Miami-Dade County, Florida; Harris County, Texas; Cook County, Illinois; Queens County, New York; San Diego County, California; and Santa Clara County, California, among others.

These areas could be first in line to receive funding to expand broadband.

Meanwhile, red states and counties such as North Dakota, Idaho, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Arkansas, Missouri, South Carolina, Nebraska, Kansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky would lose out on such funds to expand broadband potentially because none have significant foreign-born populations.

While Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) has helped stall the bill in the Senate, 18 Senate Republicans voted with Democrats this weekend to advance the bill.

Those Senators include Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Rob Portman (R-OH), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Todd Young (R-IN), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Mike Rounds (R-SD).

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.

Originally found on Breitbart Read More