Extending affordable internet can be a much-needed bipartisan victory

Congress is veering toward a potential government shutdown with no sign that the ongoing partisan divide over the budget will end anytime soon. So now, without delay, we need to identify opportunities for collaboration that result in tangible benefits for the public. One such opportunity is the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP is a critical program that enjoys bipartisan support in Congress and among voters and offers lawmakers the chance to work across the aisle for the benefit of all Americans. Unfortunately, the program’s funding is projected to run out by the spring of 2024. However, according to a survey by the bipartisan non-governmental Digital Progress Institute, 78 percent of Americans support continued funding for the program. Though, despite its earned praise from many lawmakers in Washington and the states, there has been little movement on Capitol Hill toward ensuring the program’s survival. Saving the ACP is an opportunity for Congress to set aside partisan differences and secure the future of a program that countless Americans rely on every day and most of us take for granted: access to high-speed internet.

[Kathryn de Wit is a project director with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ broadband access initiative.]