WASHINGTON, DC October 23 —Although the 21st century has ushered in a new age of information sharing and interconnectivity, some communities have been left behind. Lack of access to broadband internet plagues millions of Americans living in rural areas, and one leader in the Congress is working to close the gap for constituents across her state. The leader is U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who appeared before The Ripon Society yesterday morning for a breakfast discussion focusing on her efforts to expand rural broadband. She began her remarks by explaining why high-speed internet access is so important to these communities.