Statements on the Secure and Affordable Broadband Extension Act
Today, Reps. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) and Rep. Mike Carey (R-OH) introduced a House companion to S.4317 - Secure and Affordable Broadband Extension Act, which includes $6 billion to fund the Affordable Connectivity Program.
The following statement can be attributed to Gigi Sohn, Spokesperson for the Affordable Broadband Campaign:
“Kudos to Reps. Budzinski and Carey for introducing legislation in the House to fund the Affordable Connectivity Program. This program is the most successful effort in our nation’s history to close the digital divide, but Congress has let it lapse for nearly a month. In that time, millions of families on tight budgets have had to make tough choices between internet access or groceries, rent, healthcare and other necessities.
There is no excuse not to move this legislation forward.”
The following statement can be attributed to Amy Huffman, Policy Director at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance:
“Today, Congress signaled the importance of renewing the successful Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) with the introduction of H.R. XXX, a companion bill to S. 4317. The lapse of ACP funding has left millions of older adults, students, and families without internet access and forced local digital inclusion practitioners to return to inadequate, unsustainable solutions. We applaud Congress's bipartisan support and commitment to renewing funding for the most successful broadband affordability program in US history, one that helped 23+ million households get and stay online. On behalf of the 1,700 digital inclusion programs we represent, we urge Congress to act quickly to fast-track this legislation and reverse the devastating impact that ACP’s end has had on household budgets across the country.”
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The following statement can be attributed to Amina Fazlullah, Head of Tech Policy Advocacy, Common Sense Media:
“Common Sense Media strongly supports the Secure and Affordable Broadband Extension Act introduced by Representatives Budzinski (D-IL) and Carey (R-OH). Additional funding to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program is critical to ensure low-income families across the country can get and stay online; enabling access to telemedicine, education, and career opportunities. The ACP has supported 23 million households from every state and continues to garner strong bipartisan, bicameral support in Congress. This extension will ensure vulnerable families will continue to have consistent access to high-speed internet and helps to maximize forthcoming BEAD program infrastructure investments."
The following statement can be attributed to Jenna Leventoff, Senior Policy Counsel, American Civil Liberties Union
“The internet is no longer optional – it’s essential. Without broadband, our local communities cannot access opportunities in education, and employment, nor speak out online and exercise their First Amendment rights. Households who struggle to afford broadband shouldn’t have to sacrifice other necessities to stay connected. Unfortunately, the primary program to help low-income households connect to the internet, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), proved so necessary that it ran out of funding. The Secure and Affordable Broadband Extension Act would revitalize ACP so that families in need can continue to connect.”
The following statement can be attributed to INCOMPAS President Angie Kronenberg
“INCOMPAS and its members support the bipartisan effort to reform and fund the Affordable Connectivity Program to ensure that millions of low-income families across the nation can connect to the internet—a vital communications tool for education, health care, and so much more. Thank you Representative Budzinski and Carey for their dedication to funding this integral program.”
The following statement can be attributed to Lilian Coral, Head of OTI and Vice President for Technology and Democracy programs at New America:
“OTI is grateful for the contributions of these Representatives, who are joining their colleagues in the Senate in a bipartisan effort to ensure Americans stay connected. Refunding the Affordable Connectivity Program will help the millions of low-income American households who have experienced greater difficulty paying their internet bills following the ACP’s wind-down. The internet is essential to American life, and as we face persistent fears of inflation, the uncertainty of AI’s impact on our workforce, and continuously rising levels of disinformation and polarization, we should not leave Americans behind.”
The following statement can be attributed to Nat Purser, Government Affairs Policy Advocate at Public Knowledge:
“Public Knowledge is delighted to see Reps. Budzinski and Carey champion the continued funding of the Affordable Connectivity Program with bipartisan support. When the program lapsed last month, more than 23 million families who had come to rely on this subsidy lost a critical lifeline connecting them to their communities. We must renew the ACP’s funding so American families can once again experience the security and opportunity offered by this crucial program.”
