A coalition of 43 advocacy groups urged U.S. political leaders to advance a sprawling infrastructure bill that has been stalled in Congress for months, arguing the broadband funding it contains is critical to closing the digital divide.
In a letter to the Republican and Democrat leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate, the groups pressed for action by the end of October. They noted tens of millions of Americans still lack access to “affordable, reliable” broadband, and even more – some 120 million – are not using the internet at broadband speeds, an issue which has been thrown into sharp relief by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This digital divide threatens access to the full promise of the American Dream for too many communities — both urban and rural,” they wrote. The letter was signed by an wide array of organizations, including ACT – The App Association, the American Telemedicine Association, BroadbandNow, Connect Americans Now, the National Rural Education Association; National Grange, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association; and a number of regional, state and local groups.
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In August, the Senate passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal, which included $65 billion in funding for various broadband programs. However, the bill has been stuck in the House since then due to disputes among Democrats over political priorities. A House vote on the bill scheduled for earlier this month was delayed due to a lack of support.
The groups argued in the letter the legislation “represents an important first step in bringing affordable, reliable broadband and digital skills to every American” and pressed “lawmakers in the House to work diligently to move the legislation to the president’s desk by the end of the month without further delay.”
On Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN a vote on the infrastructure bill was planned for later this week.