The FCC's War on the Poor

In light of recent decisions by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), I invite you to join the Voices for Internet Freedom Coalition, a coalition of organizations fighting to protect the digital rights of communities of color, for a lunch briefing focused on Lifeline, Net Neutrality, and other recent FCC decisions. The briefing will be held Thursday, March 8^th from 12:00 – 1:30 pm in Rayburn 2044.

Started during the Reagan Administration, the Lifeline Program has been essential for millions of low income Americans who need access to phone and internet to stay in touch with loved ones, apply for jobs, and schedule appointments. Recent natural disasters such as Hurricanes Maria and Harvey have shown the importance of the Lifeline subsidy for vulnerable Americans during life threatening emergencies.

In 2015, the FCC put out its Open Internet Order that restricted Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from blocking, throttling, or prioritizing internet content, known as the Net Neutrality Rules. This order was challenged and upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 2016. In December 2017, the FCC voted to roll back these protections despite public push back.

We will hear from a panel of individuals to discuss how these changes in addition to other recent FCC decisions, such as moving the Universal Service Fund to the US Treasury Department, will impact their lives.

I hope you will join us for this important discussion. Lunch will be provided.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Nairobi Cratic at Nairobi.cratic@mail.house.gov.