John,
Right now, millions of families are facing utility debt and potential evictions across the country — and many of them are unable to pay the skyrocketing prices of water, electricity, and broadband internet, causing utilities to shut off.
This current system disproportionately impacts our most vulnerable communities. Water, power, and internet access are vital, life-sustaining services.
That is why Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduced the Maintaining Access to Essential Services Act to cancel household debt for utilities like water, electricity, and broadband in an effort to help people get back on their feet.
Many people are falling further and further behind throughout the pandemic-driven economic crisis. But investor-owned utilities continue to make record profits.
If passed, Rep. Tlaib’s legislation will provide nearly $40 billion in low-interest loans to utilities and require the utilities that receive these loans to suspend utility shutoffs, restore disconnected service, suspend late fees and charges, stop the sale of household debt to debt collectors, and stop filing adverse reports to credit agencies. The loans will be forgiven when the utilities forgive all outstanding household debt.
— Team Bowman
