The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal: The Problem of Funding, and a Counterexample to the U.S. Senate Judgment
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal was passed by the US Congress in 2021. It was a massive, ambitious piece of legislation that aimed to shore up a variety of floundering industries, including transit networks, energy systems, and public utilities. The ACP was in that deal. It set aside $14.2 billion to help low-income households afford high-speed internet. If a family’s household income was below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guideline per year, they were eligible for a $30 monthly credit on their broadband bill. Those living on tribal lands could receive up to $75.
The problem is funding. Like with any federal funding, there’s a limit to how long a program can go on without being renewed by Congress. One instance where the Biden administration made a plea to save the program was last October when they asked for a $6 billion investment to continue the program. Despite that and a number of pleas from advocacy groups and organizations like the Federal Communications Commission, nothing came of these attempts, and the program has officially lapsed.
More than 23 million households have taken advantage of the program that went into effect. That’s a staggering number—roughly one in six households—who now have to find another way to scrape together the funds to stay connected.
In a press conference yesterday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated the Biden administration’s stance of pushing big telecom companies to continue honoring the ACP rules despite the lack of funding, saying, “We announced earlier this month that we are encouraging providers to take steps to keep their consumers connected at this crucial time by over low-cost, no-cost plans.” However, it isn’t clear whether any of the providers will be keen to play along.
“I haven’t told her yet that the subsidy is ending, because I’m just going to start paying the additional fee for her internet service, and she would insist that I don’t do that,” Wright says. “She wants to feel like she’s independent. I need her to be with me on the other side of the world.
An Internet Friend Like Perez? A New Perspective on Homeless Housing and Community Services for the U.S. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke
Perez is one of millions of people who are waiting to find out how long they can stay online. After spending more than five years unhoused in New York City, Perez eventually landed in an apartment in Brooklyn in 2021. He subsists on housing vouchers, public assistance, and the advocacy work he does for the homeless community in New York. In March of this year, Perez was the guest of Congresswoman Yvette Clarke at the State of the Union Address.