Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined 31 of his Senate colleagues to cosponsor the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) Extension Act. Before it expired earlier this year, the ACP provided a home internet discount of up to $30 per month for low-income families or up to $75 per month for Tribal families. This legislation would provide an additional $7 billion in funding for the ACP.
“The Affordable Connectivity Program helped America’s families access affordable, high-speed internet – but nearly 250,000 Coloradans lost access to this important program when Congress let its funding lapse,” said Bennet. “Access to reliable internet is a necessity of modern life, and I’ll keep working to ensure every Coloradan has the tools they need to thrive in the 21st century.”
Bennet has long advocated for expanded access to affordable, high-speed internet. In June 2021, he introduced the bipartisan Broadband Reform and Investment to Drive Growth in the Economy (BRIDGE) Act to provide flexible broadband funding to states and Tribal governments. The BRIDGE Act was later incorporated into the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is now making the largest investment in U.S. history to deploy affordable, high-speed Internet across Colorado and the country. In August 2023, Bennet also introduced the Connecting Our Neighbors to Networks and Ensuring Competitive Telecommunications (CONNECT) Act to cut red tape and make it easier for small internet providers to apply for a federal loan and grant program to extend internet access to rural communities. As funding was set to expire, Bennet joined dozens of his colleagues to urge Congress to extend funding for the ACP in October 2023 and March 2024.
In addition to Bennet, U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also cosponsor this legislation.
The text of the bill is available HERE.