Walter Presser was a Methodist pastor from rural Texas who served on three Army tours in Iraq. He is also the father of his 12 adult children, nine of whom are still at home.And he’s one of the 23 million Americans who could lose a critical life. government subsidy You will still be able to access the internet after the expiry date at the end of May.
“This has helped our budget by just giving our kids $50 a month to play sports or band or whatever they want to do,” Presser told FOX News Digital.
Millions of people in low-income households are at risk of losing their $30 to $75 monthly subsidy as part of the Affordable Connections Program (ACP) when funding runs out at the end of May. Now, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to lend a helping hand to the program.
Presser said that with the family’s previous internet access, it took one of her older children three hours to complete 10% of her homework due to slow internet speeds. With ACP connectivity, that time has been reduced to just 45 minutes.
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Representatives Yvette Clark and Brian Fitzpatrick are leading a bipartisan push to keep the ACP alive beyond this month. (DeAgostini/Tom Williams/Bill Clark/Metamol Works)
“It made a world of difference,” he said.
Presser also works with Easter Seals, a nonprofit organization in the Greater Houston area, to help others enroll in ACP. Of the people he has worked directly with, many of them fellow veterans, Presser says ACP has helped him go back to school, learn job skills, apply for jobs, and meet his health needs. He said that things can now be done remotely.
“Affordable connectivity programs are critical to ensuring customers can afford it. [internet] “I work with a lot of different people, but I work with a lot of veterans,” Presser said. Therefore, telemedicine is an important element, especially for individuals with various mental health issues. … Access to telemedicine, the ability to interact with health care providers without being forced to leave the house, is critical. ”
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Rep. Yvette Clark of New York is leading a bipartisan effort to get Congress to take up the Affordable Connections Program Extension Act, which would keep ACP solvent through the end of this year, to give lawmakers time for reform. Masu. and improve the program.
“I think this was literally a lifeline for a lot of people who were under financial strain,” Clark said. “Without subsidies, you have to do something. And unfortunately, maybe broadband, but you have to feed your family. You have to buy medicine. You have to travel. The cost of living is rising in all of these areas, and knowing you can rely on that subsidy makes a world of difference.”
Walter Presser is an Army veteran, Methodist minister, ACP recipient, and helps others access ACP. (Walter Presser)
His bill has 206 House Democratic co-sponsors and 24 Republicans, including Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, who is spearheading the push alongside Clark. .
“We live in an increasingly digital world, and broadband internet access is no longer a luxury, but a necessity,” Fitzpatrick said.
He emphasized that a significant number of the more than 23 million ACP recipients are veterans and urged more Republicans to join them.
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“A lot of mental health patients and a lot of veterans with PTSD rely on this program,” Fitzpatrick said, adding that about 1 million veterans “rely on this program to access telehealth services.” It depends on the
“That’s what I’m saying to my Republican colleagues: This is a pro-veteran bill. Letting this program expire will leave 1 million veterans stranded in the medical field. ”
Both he and Clark were optimistic they could save the program in time.
Lawmakers are asking Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the ACP Extension Act to a vote. (Getty Images)
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Fitzpatrick said he has discussed the bill with members of the House Republican leadership, but did not say who.
Both the White House and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are lobbying Congress for ACP relief.
“Today, May 1st, marks the beginning of the last month that households in the Affordable Connectivity Program will benefit from their internet rates. Tens of millions of Americans will see their internet rates rise or lose their access to the internet by the end of this month,” the White House warned on Wednesday.
Fox News Digital reached out to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office for comment, but did not receive a response by press time.
