Cantwell, Democrats Secure $7 Billion for Affordable Connectivity Program Over GOP Opposition

23 million American households – rural families, veterans, seniors and students – have relied on ACP for health care, homework, jobs and vital connections to family and friends

Republicans voted in lockstep against access to affordable internet for constituents in need

During a markup in the Senate Commerce Committee yesterday, Democratic members overcame Republican opposition to the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), passing an amendment to secure $7 billion to continue the program, which had provided access to affordable internet for more than 23 million American households. Led by U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Committee, Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), the amendment passed 14-12, with no Republican members voting to continue to fund the program.

“There is no way that ACP, affordable connectivity for people who can’t afford it, should be a partisan issue,” Sen. Cantwell said during a floor speech last month, calling on colleagues to support the continuation of the ACP. “This is about tackling the cost of expensive broadband for the working poor, and it should not be a partisan issue.”

“This Affordable Connectivity Program provides affordable broadband to more than 23 million American households. Americans need broadband to speak to their doctors, to do their homework, to connect to their jobs, to stay in touch with loved ones…The pandemic laid bare how important broadband access was to every American and to businesses – no different from having access to affordable electricity, or heating or telephone capacity,” Cantwell continued.

“After weeks of deadlock, we finally have progress on the effort to keep internet access affordable for millions of seniors, veterans, families and students across America. We’ve been struggling to come together to extend this critical program, and today’s passage of my amendment by the Commerce Committee is a step in the right direction. I hope my colleagues—on both sides of the aisle—will put politics aside and join me in working quickly to lift folks in Vermont and across America out of digital darkness,” said Sen. Welch.

Before the vote, Sen. Luján pointed out Republicans’ previous support for the program: “Another bipartisan accomplishment in the Infrastructure package was understanding that constituents in every one of our states did not have access to high-speed affordable internet…And we learned during COVID the importance of this powerful program to ensure families could connect. It was supported in a bipartisan way.”

Since its implementation in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, more than 23 million households have utilized the program’s monthly discount of up to $30 for internet service, and up to $75 monthly for households on Tribal lands. The ACP also offered households a one-time $100 device discount. Funding for the program expired on June 1, 2024.

According to the administration,

• Nearly half of the households that relied on ACP were military families.
• Four million seniors and 10 million Americans over the age of 50 relied on this program every month.
• 1-in-4 households that participated in ACP were African American, and 1-in-4 households were Latino.
• ACP provided an enhanced monthly subsidy to 320,000 households on Tribal lands, where high-speed internet is generally more expensive.
• Every state had households enrolled in the program.

Number of Households Enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program by State
As of the enrollment freeze in February 2024
To view by zip code and county, click here.