Broadband Internet is an irreplaceable lifeline during this unprecedented crisis. It’s how remote employees go to work, how teachers reach their students, how family members perform wellness checks, and how governments coordinate relief efforts. It’s nothing less than the single most powerful communication tool that America has in this trying time.
But right now, 21 million Americans are forced to go without it -- the vast majority of whom are in rural areas and on tribal lands. For these Americans, a utility that many take for granted could literally be the difference between living a mostly normal life or being completely cut off from society in the middle of a pandemic.
Democratic representatives of those rural areas -- like Rep. Paul Tonko of upstate New York -- are pleading with the federal government for assistance. Writing directly to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, Tonko told a story unfolding around the country:
“During this pandemic, I have heard from parents, educators, students, and workers that are unable to connect online from their homes. I have heard from small businesses unable to operate remotely because they do not have broadband capable of processing payments. I have heard from families worried about isolated seniors and inability to access telemedicine. I implore you not to ignore these people whom we are meant to serve.”
But Pai, a Republican, says the government has done enough already. And Republicans in Congress have rejected increased funding for broadband before -- calling it a tax, just like they did with health care.
21 million Americans don’t have time to waste on political games.
Thank YOU for being part of the fight,
Progressive Majority
