Representative Adriano Espaillat Leads Effort to Fund and Continue Affordable Connectivity Program

WASHINGTON, DC– Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and Members of the New York Congressional Delegation sent a letter urging Republican House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Granger and Subcommittee Chairman Womack to allocate $7 billion to continue the Affordable Connectivity Program that provides Internet access to over 1.5 million New Yorkers and 21 million American households nationwide. 

“The Affordable Connectivity Program has been a crucial success for continuing to close the digital divide being experienced by Americans and New Yorkers alike,” said Rep. Espaillat. “Hard-working families need to use the Internet for browsing grocery deals, students need to complete homework online, and vulnerable individuals need to search job boards. The importance of broadband access cannot be understated and affordable Internet access is a basic necessity in today’s world.” 

The ACP provides up to $75 per month in addition to a one-time $100 subsidy for a desktop, laptop, or tablet for eligible families with financial hardships or in rural, tribal, and insular households. The ACP closes the opportunity divide for students, unlocks telehealth possibilities for vulnerable individuals, and provides new employment opportunities.

Currently, 50% of New York eligible households use the Affordable Connectivity Program to assist with their Internet bill needs which has and will continue to close the gap between New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) residents who only have up to 40% broadband access compared to 97% for all New Yorkers. 

Rep. Espaillat was joined by Reps. Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Grace Meng (D-Queens), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Pat Ryan (NY-18), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), and Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY). 

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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fourth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 118th Congress. He is also a member of the House Budget Committee and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Deputy Chair as well as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). Rep. Espaillat is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.

Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov