Heinrich, Luján Push to Save Program that Lower Costs of High-Speed Internet
Program Saves Millions of New Mexicans Money on Internet; Without Extension, New Mexicans Could See $30 to $75 Increase Each Month on Their Internet Bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, urged Congressional leaders to extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides financial assistance to access high-speed internet for more than 171,000 households and more than 21 million working families across the nation. The program was created through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Heinrich and Luján helped to write and pass.
This program is so popular that its funds are set to run out in a few months, well ahead of the anticipated date included in the law. If the program is not extended, New Mexicans could see their internet bills increase from $30 to $75 per month.
“We write to urge you to extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides over 21 million working families with financial assistance for broadband access, to help bridge the digital divide so they can continue to afford the broadband services they need for work, school, health care, and more,” wrote the senators. “Should ACP funding not be extended, millions of Americans could be at risk of losing access to broadband.”
“Failing to extend funding would be irresponsible,” they continued. “We urge you to extend funding for the ACP in a government appropriations package and include a long-term solution that ensures efficient spending of taxpayer dollars.”
In addition to Heinrich and Luján, the letter is signed by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
The full letter can be found here.
