The White House is urging Congress to extend a subsidy program that assists one in six American families in affording internet access. This program, known as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), is a crucial component of President Joe Biden's commitment to providing reliable broadband service to every household in the country. Tom Perez, senior adviser and assistant to the president, emphasized the importance of internet access, stating that "for President Biden, internet is like water." He believes that it is an essential public necessity that should be affordable and accessible to all.

The ACP offers eligible families discounts on their internet bills, providing $30 per month for most families and up to $75 per month for families living on tribal lands. However, the $14.2 billion allocated to the program through the bipartisan infrastructure law is projected to run out by the end of April. Perez drew a parallel between the internet and water, emphasizing that just as water is a vital resource that should not be cut off, high-speed internet is the pipeline to opportunity and access to healthcare for many individuals across the country.

The program has garnered widespread support from various stakeholders, including public interest groups, local and state-level broadband officials, and both large and small telecommunications providers. Gary Johnson, CEO of Paul Bunyan Communications, a Minnesota-based internet provider, expressed the cooperative's commitment to assisting members in accessing the program, stating that it is not merely a subsidy but rather an essential means of enabling families to have internet access at all.

Paul Bunyan Communications, which serves households in north central Minnesota, is among the 1,700 participating internet service providers that have recently issued notices to families indicating that the program may expire without action from Congress. Johnson believes that internet access is a bipartisan issue, as the program serves nearly an equal number of households in Republican and Democratic congressional districts, according to an AP analysis.

President Biden has compared his promise of affordable internet for all American households to the New Deal-era initiative that provided electricity to rural areas. Congress approved $65 billion for various broadband-related investments, including the ACP, in 2021 as part of a bipartisan infrastructure law. Biden traveled to North Carolina last month to highlight the potential benefits of the program, particularly for areas that currently lack reliable and affordable internet service.

The expiration of the ACP could have far-reaching consequences, not only for enrolled families but also for other federal broadband investments. It may erode trust between consumers and their internet providers. In response, a bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed a bill to sustain the ACP until the end of 2024, with an additional $7 billion in funding - $1 billion more than what Biden initially requested from Congress last year. However, no votes have been scheduled to advance the bill, and it remains uncertain whether the program will be prioritized in a divided Congress.

This news report was written by Harjai, a journalist based in Los Angeles and a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.