Local Government Urges Congress to Sign ACP Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, April 16, 2024
CONTACTS: (see Associations’ contacts below release)
Local Government Urges Members of Congress to sign H. Res. 1119, a Discharge Petition Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R.6929 - Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024)
WASHINGTON, DC—Today on behalf of the nation’s counties, cities, towns and villages—the National League of Cities (NLC), United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA)— urge all Members of Congress on April 18th to sign H. Res. 1119, a discharge petition filed by Representative Clarke in support of H.R. 6929, the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024 to ensure quality and affordable internet access for all Americans.
“As the level of government closest to the people, we know firsthand the benefit of the Affordable Connectivity Program to households and communities who are otherwise at risk of being left behind. The continuation of the ACP is critical for families, seniors, veterans, school-aged children, rural, urban Tribal households and communities to live, learn and work in today’s digital world,” wrote the associations’ leadership.
“We welcome this opportunity to work collaboratively with Congress and our nation’s broadband partners to achieve equitable broadband deployment in our country through the combined efforts of infrastructure investment for accessibility and ACP for affordability, thereby ensuring quality and affordable internet access for all Americans.”
Today’s letter of support for H.Res. 1119 from the NLC, USCM, NACo and NATOA has been sent to every House office.
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If you have any questions, please contact:
The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,400 such cities in the country today. Each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Contact: David W. Burns, Assistant Executive Director, at 202-861-6765 or dburns@usmayors.org.
The National League of Cities (NLC) is the voice of America’s cities, towns and villages, representing more than 200 million people. NLC works to strengthen local leadership, influence federal policy and drive innovative solutions. Contact: Angelina Panettieri, Legislative Director for Information Technology and Communications, at 202-626-3196 or panettieri@nlc.org.
The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors’ (NATOA) 400 members are local government staff and their advisors offering a wealth of experience and expertise on public rights-of-way management telecom work and communications issues on behalf of local government related to broadband, wireless, cable television, public, educational, and government (PEG) access, public safety communications, consumer protection and PROW management. Contact: Mike Lynch, Legislative Affairs Director, 703-519-8035, x202 or MLynch@NATOA.org.
The National Association of Counties (NACo) provides essential services to the nation’s 3,069 counties, serving nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees. Since 1935, NACo unites county officials to advocate county priorities in federal policymaking and optimize county and taxpayer resources and cost savings while promoting exemplary county policies and practices. Contact: Seamus Dowdall, Assoc. Legislative Director, Telecommunications & Technology at 202-942-4212 or sdowdall@naco.org.