Yesterday, incoming Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz sent a letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) asking the agency to stop its $1.25 billion Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program. This grant program provides funding to states for “initiatives that ensure communities have the access and skills to fully participate in the digital world, regardless of their background or circumstances.”  The Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program and its mandate to benefit certain “covered populations” was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

The following statement should be attributed to Gigi Sohn, spokesperson for the Affordable Broadband Campaign:

“As much as he might want to, Senator Cruz cannot unilaterally stop a Congressional mandate. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law created the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program and required that such grants be made to address the needs of certain “covered populations,” which, in addition to racial and ethnic minorities, include, among others, veterans, aging and disabled individuals, and those who live in rural areas. But Senator Cruz conveniently ignores all but the first in an effort to turn this bipartisan program into some kind of a left-wing DEI agenda.

One of the ironies of Sen. Cruz’s demand is that Texas will soon receive over $55 million dollars for its own digital equity program — the Texas Digital Opportunity Program.  Congress recognized that Texas and every other state in the nation require resources to ensure that everyone has the tools and skills that they need to use the Internet, which is essential to empowering full participation in every aspect of our society and our economy.  

We ask Senator Cruz to respect the will of his colleagues in Congress and not interfere with the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program.”