MATSUI COMMENDS PRESIDENT BIDEN FOR INCLUDING AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM, RIP & REPLACE FUNDING IN DOMESTIC SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING REQUEST
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee,issued the following statement after the White House released their domestic supplemental funding request. Congresswoman Matsui had sent a letter to President Biden over the weekend urging him to sustain the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) into 2024 and address the funding shortfall in the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program.
“Today, President Biden outlined a robust funding package that will help us secure our technological future and deliver for the American people,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “Fast, reliable broadband access determines who gets to participate in the modern economy. That is why I have been such a staunch advocate of the Affordable Connectivity Program, which has proven its ability to help us close the digital divide and get Americans online. It is imperative that we do not let this program lapse.”
“In addition to keeping families connected, President Biden’s request provides an opportunity to ensure the networks that support those connections are trusted and reliable,” Matsui continued. “I have long led efforts to remove suspect equipment like Huawei and ZTE from our communications infrastructure. The longer we wait to address the funding shortfall in this program, the more we jeopardize America’s national security by leaving our networks vulnerable. Together, these investments chart a path forward for a more secure and inclusive digital ecosystem.”
Congresswoman Matsui is a national leader on policies to close the digital divide and secure our nation’s networks. She was a vocal advocate for investments in the ACP through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and has repeatedly called for additional funding. She is the co-author of the bipartisan Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, which was passed in 2020. The legislation reaffirmed a bipartisan commitment to protect America’s communications networks’ supply chain and worked to prohibit Huawei, ZTE and other equipment from threatening America’s telecommunications networks.
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