Lawmakers rush to shore up internet subsidy program before it lapses

A group of lawmakers is making a major push to extend a key internet subsidy program in their upcoming government spending talks, part of a last-ditch effort to head off a lapse in funding. In recent days, top Democratic lawmakers and officials at the Federal Communications Commission have held numerous rallies calling for the $14 billion Affordable Connectivity Program, or ACP, to receive a new round of appropriations from Congress. The ACP “allowed some 23 million low-income households to receive discounts on their internet bills of up to $30 a month,” or higher for tribal lands. The Biden administration touts it as the “largest internet affordability program in our nation’s history.” The White House in October 2023 urged congressional appropriators to dedicate $6 billion to extend the ACP through the end of 2024, and in January, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel—whose agency administers the program—warned that the existing funds would expire in April. In response, a bipartisan group of House and Senate lawmakers unveiled a bill to re-up its funding. Now, key negotiators are pushing to tuck the measure into upcoming spending bills on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are racing to avert a possible shutdown.