Chairman Pai Continues to Ask Congress for $430 Million for FCC Teleheatlh

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai is pushing Congress to make “more funding available for connectivity during the COVID-19 pandemic — including at least $430 million in funding for the highly successful but underfunded COVID-19 Telehealth Program,” a spokesperson said, noting that the FCC has conveyed these requests for months. Congress in March slated $200 million for the Covid-19 Telehealth Program, and the FCC has since awarded that cash to subsidize connectivity for 539 health care entities across the country. Chairman Pai’s office mentioned his requests in response to a letter on Aug 21 from 16 Democratic Senators who lashed out at him in unusually harsh terms over how he’s handled telehealth during the outbreak.“It's disappointing that Congressional Democrats continue to prioritize partisan politics over legislative action that would give the FCC the funds it needs to extend its record of success,” the FCC spokesperson added.