Should Congress continue funding the Affordable Connectivity Program?
S. 3565 provides FY2024 funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. The Affordable Connectivity program is an initiative by the Federal Communications Commission; it provides discounted internet services for eligible low-income families. Under the program, families can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 but less than $50 toward the purchase. S. 3565 provides $7 billion for the program.
Sponsor: Sen. Peter Welch (Democrat, Vermont)
View full bill text ➔
How do you feel?
Oppose
Support
Opponents say
• "The RSC budget stands against corporate welfare and government handouts that disincentivize prosperity, known as the welfare cliff. Joe Biden’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) provides a monthly taxpayer-funded payment to broadband service providers to deliver high-speed internet services to qualifying low-income households. In theory, this program was intended to help lowincome [sic.] households afford broadband internet services, rationalized by ‘digital equity’ as a mobilizer for economic opportunity during the pandemic. The IIJA eliminated language sunsetting the program and provided it with an additional $14.2 billion. RSC supports sunsetting Biden’s ACP for the following reasons: Private industry captures some of the benefits while passing on higher prices to all consumers; 80 percent of ACP beneficiaries had high-speed internet before receiving the subsidy; and Sunsetting ACP would cut broadband costs, saving households money." Source: Republican Study Committee (Republican)
• "The program was created in response to a fake emergency and only began in May 2021, well after the Covid recession was over. It was then folded into the bipartisan infrastructure law as part of the “everything is infrastructure” Democratic mentality. Eligibility was expanded so that it now covers 20 million households, and the Biden administration wants to expand it even more. It has been prone to fraud: For example, the FCC inspector general uncovered a situation in Florida where a school of 200 students had 1,884 households enrolled in the program…And we have good reason to believe that in the absence of the ACP, competition would increase and few, if any, people would lose internet service…Congress has a rare chance to end a destructive welfare program that’s only a few years old, and all it has to do to accomplish that goal is what it does best: absolutely nothing." Source: Dominic Pino (Thomas L. Rhodes Fellow, National Review Institute)
• "If anything, it is much more speculative to claim that 25 million households will lose broadband if the ACP does not get new funding. If you are going to dismiss concerns over the ACP’s inefficiency as unproven (even where there is ample data underlying this fact), you should hold yourself to the same standard and avoid sweeping claims of effectiveness with no basis in data. The Biden administration’s reckless spending spree has left America’s current fiscal situation in a state of crisis, with gross debt at nearly $34 trillion. It is incumbent on lawmakers to protect taxpayers and make funding decisions based on clear evidence. Unfortunately, your testimony pushes “facts” about the ACP that are deeply misleading and have the potential to exacerbate the fiscal crisis without producing meaningful benefits to the American consumer. We therefore ask you to supplement your testimony from November 30, 2023, with the correct information about the number of Americans that will “lose” broadband if the ACP does not receive additional funds, and correct the hearing record accordingly by January 5, 2024." Source: Rep. Rep. Latta, Rep. Rodgers, Sen. Cruz and Sen. Thune (Republican)
Proponents say
• "I’m going to take my opportunity to talk about something a little bit different because it’s so urgent, and that’s the Affordable Connectivity Program. It’s about to expire…It’s for lower-income folks around the country to be able to connect to the internet. This Congress with bipartisan support we’ve done an enormous amount, especially as a result of COVID, where there was a recognition that being on the internet and having access to that was really critical for the well-being of all of our families. Folks couldn’t go to school unless they had the internet, they couldn’t get a doctor’s appointment without the internet. We’ve built out the internet but it’s no good if you can’t afford to get on it…the Affordable Connectivity Program is thirty bucks a month of help to these families all around the country—millions—in Vermont it’s like 25,000 families. And it’s expiring, and one of the big challenges we have—because there’s broad support for the program—it affects all of our communities, whether we’re in a red state or a blue state. And it’s evidenced by the bipartisan support we have for the effort to do it." Source: Sen. Peter Welch (Democrat, Vermont)
• "We live in an increasingly digital world where broadband internet access has become a necessity for everyday life. Every month, nearly 1.8 million New Yorkers – from students and educators to older Americans and veterans – rely on the Affordable Connectivity Program to help pay for their internet bill. Across the nation, more than 22 million American households already rely on the ACP for internet access. The bipartisan, bicameral Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act provides a transformative opportunity to bridge the gap of the digital divide for communities of color, urban and rural families, and so many more underserved Americans. I’m proud to join my colleagues to extend critical funding for this all too important program." Source: Rep. Katherine Clark (Massachusetts, District 5)
• "Thanks to the Affordable Connectivity Program, nearly 23 million households in every corner of the country – in rural, urban, suburban, and Tribal lands – have broadband connectivity today. We are at a critical time for this program. A loss of funding will mean a loss of trust in this public-private partnership that could squander this opportunity to close the digital divide. I am heartened to see bipartisan Congressional efforts led by Senators Welch and Vance and Representatives Clarke and Fitzpatrick. I remain hopeful that this program will continue to be funded." Source: Anna Gomez (FCC Commissioner)
- Bipartisan, Bicameral Extension of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to Continue Closing the Digital Divide
- Millions of Americans could soon lose home internet access if lawmakers don’t act (CNN)
- The End of the Affordable Connectivity Program is Almost Here, Threatening to Widen the Digital Divide (Brookings)
- Millions of Low Income Families Set to Lose Internet Subsidies (New York Times)
- FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program Ends Enrollments. Here’s What You Can Do. (CNET)
- Rep. Peter Welch’s Largest Donors (OpenSecrets)
