House Republicans want the Biden-era program cutting internet costs for low-income families to end. And nearly a dozen of those same House Republicans wouldn’t mind if the program was also extended.
Nineteen House Republicans have co-sponsored Democratic Rep. Yvette Clarke’s bill to provide funding to the Affordable Connectivity Program, a key component of President Joe Biden’s 2021 infrastructure law that grants $30 to $75 discounts on monthly internet bills. Of the 19 Republicans, 11 are also members of the Republican Study Committee, the conservative House group comprising roughly 80% of the GOP conference, calling for the ACP to end.
The program runs out of funds on Tuesday, leaving roughly 23 million low-income American families in the lurch on their internet bills. Despite some bipartisan support for the program, Republican lawmakers haven’t been too pressed to pass more money for it. However, several have called on their leadership to take up the issue.