US Senate

Sens Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) announced that they plan to increase their request in upcoming legislation aimed at ensuring all K-12 students have adequate home internet connectivity and devices during the coronavirus pandemic. The senators previously announced their intention to introduce the Senate companion to legislation, the Emergency Educational Connections Act, recently introduced by Rep Grace Meng (D-NY) in the House.

Sens Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Reps Marcia Fudge (D-OH) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), along with 140 colleagues in both the House and Senate, urged Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to work directly with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that the millions of Americans who are now eligible for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Medicaid due to job loss or reduction in income are informed that they are also eligible for the FCC’s Lifeline program.

Sens Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) called on Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to work with broadband service providers and Congress to increase access to mobile broadband hotspots across rural America. Specifically, the sens urged Chairman Pai to work with the companies that stepped up by taking the Keep Americans Connected Pledge to provide a comprehensive report on the current distribution of hotspots to understand where hotspots have been deployed, where they will be deployed, and where they could be deployed with help from the federal government to impro

Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) on sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai demanding an extension on the comment period for the issues that the DC Circuit Court of Appeals recently remanded in the commission’s net neutrality repeal. Local governments in California and New York requested a 60-day extension of the comment period, yet the commission refused to give these first responders more time while they are fighting on the frontlines of a global pandemic. “While that comment period clo

Sen Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with 22 of his Senate colleagues, urged the Department of Treasury to increase its efforts to make Economic Impact Payments available to the most vulnerable populations—including those without access to the internet who cannot file a tax return electronically.  In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Durbin and the Senators highlighted that at least 21 million Americans are without high-speed internet access and they face a significant barrier in their ability to file a simple tax return online if they are not eligible to receive an automatic payment.

74 senators cosigned a letter to the Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Russell Vought to support radio and televisions broadcasters and local newspapers during the Coronavirus pandemic. Our radio and television broadcasters and rural newspapers provide local and national news, emergency alerts, educational programs, and more to all corners of the United States.

Sens Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Reps Peter Welch (D-VT) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) wrote a letter to President Donald Trump urging the Administration to support dedicated funding for small broadband providers to keep students and low-income families in their communities connected to the internet during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Many small broadband providers have committed to sustaining critical broadband services and upgrades for students and low-income families who cannot afford payment during this public health crisis.