Republicans Are Now Trying To Take Phone And Internet Service Away From Poor People
This is Congressman Austin Scott. He is trying to take internet service away from poor people.
After failing to take affordable health insurance away from millions of Americans, it seems that Republicans have now turned efforts toward taking away affordable phone and internet service for poor Americans.
Republican Congressman Austin Scott and 18 of his Republican colleagues in the House have put forth a new bill they are calling the “End Taxpayer Funded Cell Phone Act.” And what would this “End Taxpayer Funded Cell Phone Act” do?
Well, it will stop subsidizing affordable access to broadband internet and mobile phone access for low-income Americans.
Specifically, the bill goes guts the Lifeline program that began in 1985 by providing subsidies for telephones. More recently the Lifeline program expanded to include broadband internet and mobile phones.
The idea behind the Lifeline program is meant to help low-income Americans from losing access to necessary communications tools that society depends on.
Here is what Congressman Scott said in his announcement of the bill:
“Hardworking American taxpayers are already overburdened and should not be forced to pay for a program that has vastly expanded beyond its intended scope and is riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse,” said Rep. Scott. “My bill will reform the Lifeline Program and restore it to its original purpose of providing landline services and prohibit Universal Service support for mobile services. In order to promote government accountability, cut government fraud and waste, and protect consumers from further increases to their phone bills, the Lifeline Program’s free cell phone plans should end.”
The bill would prohibit mobile phone and data providers from receiving Lifeline funds. And any excess collections “shall be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury of the United States, for the sole purpose of deficit reduction.”
[image via Wikipedia]
