Labor, civil rights, public interest groups urge US senators to protect Lifeline

A broad coalition of labor, civil rights, and public interest groups sent a letter to two Senate committees, urging lawmakers to protect and defend Lifeline from outdated attack. The Lifeline program provides $9.25 a month to poor households for phone or broadband service. It’s a vital program to address the high cost of broadband service and close the digital divide.

The Government Accountability Office recently released a report claiming the program was making improper payments. But that study relied on old data and failed to account for recently adopted reforms to combat fraud or abuse.

The letter, led by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, highlights the great need of the Lifeline program. “Our nation’s communications policy is based on the fundamental principle of universal service for good reason,” the letter reads. “People need affordable communications services to connect with their communities for job opportunities, medical services, educational advancement, 911 emergency response, and civic participation.”

The letter also points out significant bipartisan support for the need to provide broadband for all people in the United States: “75 percent of the public agree that everyone needs the Internet in the 21st century economy” and “70 percent of the public agrees that the federal government should assist low-income families to help them afford the cost of Internet access.”

This isn’t the first time the Lifeline program has faced attack. Last year Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) tried to cap the program and phase out the subsidy for voice-only mobile service, ultimately hindering Lifeline’s efficacy. Then Republicans made broad claims of $500 million dollars in “waste, fraud, and abuse.” But their math didn’t add up. To reach the $500 million claim, every single Lifeline recipient living in an apartment building – including veteran group homes, nursing homes, and homeless shelters – would have to be guilty of fraud. That’s an absurd assumption with no evidentiary support.

The letter was sent to members of the Senate Commerce and Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs committees, which recently held hearings on Lifeline. Groups that signed the Leadership Conference letter include: the Communications Workers of America, the NAACP, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Native Public Media, Free Press Action Fund, Common Cause, and the ACLU.

Links:

Protect the Lifeline Program letter (The Leadership Conference, Sept. 13, 2017)

Lawmakers threaten Lifeline program (Speed Matters, Apr. 18, 2016)

Attacks on Lifeline defeated in Congress (Speed Matters, June 23, 2017)

New report debunks claims of Lifeline fraud (Speed Matters, July 22, 2016)