The Big Story: Congressional Startup Day brings policymakers and innovators together. This week, members of Congress and startups across the country celebrated Congressional Startup Day, the annual bipartisan, bicameral celebration giving startups a chance to connect with the members of Congress who represent them and identify the ways in which policymakers can encourage innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Big Story: Senate passes infrastructure bill, but crypto problems remain. This week, the Senate approved the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which has several provisions aimed at making broadband more accessible and affordable across the country, increasing opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship. While those provisions are a big win for the startup ecosystem, the bill also contains a contentious provision that would create compliance burdens and data collection requirements on a large part of the cryptocurrency community.

The Big Story: Senate setting up broadband boost as part of infrastructure package. As the Senate moves toward passing the $1 trillion infrastructure bill, startups stand to gain from provisions in the bill that would increase reliable, accessible, and affordable broadband across the country. Although the bill has faced hurdles as it is being considered on the Senate floor—including significant pushback from the cryptocurrency community—the bill overall is a win for startups and Internet users.

The Big Story: LIKE Act provides hope for startup visas

A new bill in Congress would create more opportunities for foreign-born innovators and strengthen our diverse startup ecosystem. This week, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), chair of the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship, introduced the Let Immigrants Kickstart Employment (LIKE) Act, legislation that would enable foreign-born innovators who meet certain investment benchmarks to embark on their entrepreneurial endeavors in the U.S., while also providing them with a pathway to permanent residency. A startup visa is more critical than ever, as other countries continue to attract founders through visas and investment in entrepreneurial infrastructure.