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Speaker Johnson Hastens End of Critical Program that Bridges Digital Divide, Threatening Connectivity for Millions

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Low-income households will lose the discount the program offers, but officials and people in the industry say many will lose access to the internet because they can’t pay higher bills. Ninety-five percent of said it would be hard to handle the extra costs.
The post Speaker Johnson Hastens End of Critical Program that Bridges Digital Divide, Threatening Connectivity for Millions first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 years ago

February 28, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

As the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) faces an imminent funding shortfall, the lifeline that connected more than 23 million disadvantaged and low-income American families to broadband hangs in the balance. Despite its critical role in bridging the digital divide, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has yet to bring a bill for ACP extension to the floor, putting millions at risk of losing affordable internet access.

President Biden’s ambitious goal of connecting every American to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet by 2030 is now in jeopardy, as Johnson holds the key to the ACP’s future. Despite bipartisan support, Johnson inexplicably hasn’t brought a bill funding the ACP to the floor for a formal vote. The White House and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have urged the Speaker to act.

Just last month, Biden urged more people to sign up for the ACP, noting that only 43% of eligible households had enrolled in the program and highlighting the urgent need for its continuation.

The ACP, offering internet for $30 per month for qualifying families in most areas and $75 on tribal lands, has been a game-changer, enabling participants to overcome financial barriers and access essential services like telehealth, remote schooling, and work.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has proposed a bill to sustain the ACP through 2024 with an additional $7 billion in funding, surpassing the president’s initial request. However, without a floor vote, the Federal Communications Commission has initiated steps to wind down the program, instructing internet providers to notify users about its projected end.

The FCC halted new enrollments after February 7, with the program expected to end in April. The digital divide persists due to broadband infrastructure limitations, particularly in urban areas with limited coverage in low-income neighborhoods. Tribal lands also face challenges, with broadband access lagging behind the rest of the country.

“If Congress does not provide additional funding for the ACP in the near future, millions of households will lose the ACP benefit that they use to afford internet service,” FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said. “This also means that roughly 1,700 internet service providers will be affected by the termination of the ACP and may cut off service to households no longer supported by the program.”

Blair Levin, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute and a former FCC chief of staff, lamented that “there are 15 Republican co-sponsors today of the ACP extension bill—meaning the only reason it’s not going to pass the House is because the Speaker will not let it on the floor. A minority of the House has decided we should not have it; it’s not a majority, and there’s a lot of political support for the extension.”

Even in Johnson’s Louisiana district, connectivity remains a pressing issue, with 29% of his constituents set to lose coverage because he fails to act. Johnson’s office didn’t return several telephone calls and emails seeking comment.

The program is also good for business. In February, researchers at George Mason University in Virginia wrote that the ACP added $3.89 to the U.S. GDP for every dollar spent.

Also, affordable broadband access led to more people working, increasing job rates and individual earnings. A recent poll of ACP members found that 78% said their internet connection helped them find better-paying work.

Low-income households will lose the discount the program offers, but officials and people in the industry say many will lose access to the internet because they can’t pay higher bills. Ninety-five percent of said it would be hard to handle the extra costs.

Civil rights activists have sent a letter urging Congress to act promptly, emphasizing the ACP’s role in closing the digital divide and ensuring equitable access to broadband services for low-income families and historically underserved communities.

National Urban League President Marc Morial, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, and other activists stressed in a letter to lawmakers the program’s significance in connecting Americans to the digital economy, expanding telehealth services, and supporting students in remote learning opportunities.

“Without the additional $6 billion, millions of Americans reliant on ACP will lose access to high-speed internet, a fundamental civil right in the 21st century,” the group wrote, urging Congress to secure ACP funding for 2024 and devise long-term solutions for equitable broadband access.

The post Speaker Johnson Hastens End of Critical Program that Bridges Digital Divide, Threatening Connectivity for Millions first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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LIVE from the NMA Convention Raheem DeVaughn Says The Time Is Now: Let’s End HIV in Our Communities #2

Set against the backdrop of the NMA conference, Executive Officers from the National Medical Association, Grammy Award Winning Artist and Advocate Raheem DeVaughn, and Gilead Sciences experts, are holding today an important conversation on HIV prevention and health equity. Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event […]

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event is designed to uplift voices, explore barriers to access, and increase awareness and key updates about PrEP, a proven prevention method that remains underutilized among Black women. This timely gathering will feature voices from across health, media, and advocacy as we break stigma and center equity in HIV prevention.

Additional stats and information to know:

● Black women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, with Black women representing more than 50% of new HIV diagnoses among women in the U.S. in 2022, despite comprising just 13% of women in the U.S.

● Women made up only 8% of PrEP users despite representing 19% of all new HIV diagnoses in 2022.

● Gilead Sciences is increasing awareness and addressing stigma by encouraging regular HIV testing and having judgment-free conversations with your healthcare provider about prevention options, including oral PrEP and long-acting injectable PrEP options.

● PrEP is an HIV prevention medication that has been available since 2012.

● Only 1 in 3 people in the U.S. who could benefit from PrEP were prescribed a form of PrEP in 2022.

Oakland Post

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TRUMP: “Washington, D.C. is Safe”

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

By Apriil Ryan
BlackPressUSA Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent

“Washington, D.C. is safe,” President Trump declared from the Oval Office today. Those words came while Trump was hosting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the question-and-answer session, which primarily focused on a peace deal in the Russian-Ukrainian war, Trump explained, “You did that in four days.” He was speaking of how fast the National Guard quelled the violence in what was once called Chocolate City.

The President deployed the National Guard to D.C. a week ago, to a city with reduced crime rates over the previous year. Violent crime dropped by 26%, marking the lowest level in 30 years. Homicides also fell by 11%.

President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Trump reinforced his claim about the newly acquired safety in D.C. by relaying that a friend’s son is attending dinner in D.C., something he would not have done last year.

After the president finished his comments, a reporter/commentator in the room with close connections to Marjorie Taylor Greene jumped into the high-level conversation to affirm the president’s comments, saying, “I walked around yesterday with MTG. If you can walk around D.C. with MTG and not be attacked, this city is safe.”

That reporter was the same person who chastised President Zelenskyy months ago during his first Oval Office meeting with Trump for not wearing a business suit. Zelenskyy, a wartime President, has been clad in less formal attire to reflect the country’s current war stance against Russia.

Without any sourcing, President Trump also said, “People that haven’t gone out to dinner in Washington, D.C., in two years are going out to dinner, and the restaurants the last two days have been busier than they’ve been in a long time.”

The increase in policing in Washington, D.C. is because a 19-year-old former Doge employee was carjacked in the early hours of the morning recently.

Oakland Post

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Rising Energy Costs Weigh Heaviest on Black Households

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

A new national study from Binghamton University and California State University, San Bernardino, finds that Black households spend a far larger share of their income on energy compared to white households, even when income levels are the same. “We often say that African Americans suffer more, but we often blame it just on income. And the reality is, there is something more there,” study author George Homsy, associate professor at Binghamton University, wrote. “It’s not just because they tend to be poor. There is something that’s putting them at a disadvantage. I think what happened is it happens to be where they live.” The study, published in Energy Research & Social Science, analyzed 65,000 census tracts across the United States. It found that while the average American household spends about 3.2% of income on energy bills, households in the majority African American census tracts spend an average of 5.1%.

Homsy and researcher Ki Eun Kang point to the age and condition of housing stock, along with lower homeownership rates, as key drivers. Their research concludes that “energy burden is not simply a matter of income or energy cost but also race, which might be driven by place.” Older, less energy-efficient housing and high rental rates in Black communities mean residents often cannot make upgrades like improved insulation or new appliances, locking families into higher bills.

Tradeoffs and Health Risks

The consequences go beyond money. Families forced to spend 10% or more of their income on energy — what experts classify as “unmanageable” — may cut back on food, medicine, or other essentials. More than 12 million U.S. households report leaving their homes at unsafe temperatures to reduce costs, while millions more fall behind on utility bills. The health effects are severe. High energy burdens increase risks of asthma, depression, poor sleep, pneumonia, and even premature death. The issue is especially acute for African Americans, who are disproportionately exposed to housing and environmental conditions that amplify these risks.

Washington, D.C.: A Case Study

In Washington, D.C., the problem is particularly stark. A recent analysis by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) shows that SNAP-eligible households spend more than 20% of their income on energy bills. Across the metro area, nearly two-thirds of low-income households devote over 6% of their income to energy, and 40% face what researchers call a “severe financial strain,” paying more than 10%. Pepco, the District’s primary electricity provider, has implemented three consecutive annual rate hikes, pushing the average household bill to $114 per month as of January 2025. Shutoffs have followed — nearly 12,000 customers lost service in 2024, with disconnections doubling after a summer rate hike. Washington Gas has also sought a 12% rate increase and pushed a controversial $215 million pipeline replacement project, rebranded as “District SAFE.” The plan could ultimately cost D.C. households an additional $45,000 each over several decades, or nearly $1,000 annually added to bills.

Historical Roots

Researchers argue that these inequities are not accidental but rooted in history. The ScienceDirect study reveals that African American communities living in formerly redlined neighborhoods continue to face disadvantages today — from poor housing quality to higher climate risks. Homsy says policymakers must make targeted efforts. “It is harder to get to rental units where a lot of poor people live,” he noted. “We need to work harder to get into these communities of color.”