First appearance on Fox: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is suing the Biden administration for $1.25 billion in “digital equity,” arguing that using race-based criteria to expand broadband access is unconstitutional. They are calling for the program to be canceled.
“We strongly request that the illegal act be revoked.” [Notice of Funding Opportunity] NOFO should stop issuing program grants before it causes any real harm,” Cruz wrote Thursday morning to Alan Davidson, assistant secretary of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Do not serve compelling government interests. ”
The letter comes as Republicans oppose diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the incoming Trump administration. Under the soon-to-be-launched Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, programs like the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program could be scrutinized as government waste.
“All sources of government waste are subject to DOGE,” Ramaswamy told Fox News Digital.
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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) at the Capitol on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 in Washington, DC. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Seneta)
The letter criticizes the NTIA's guidance for the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program as follows: Cruz argues that the lawsuit violates the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause because it lacks evidence of racial discrimination in internet access and does not provide clear indicators of race-based criteria. I am doing it.
The program is a significant initiative under the Digital Equity Act authorized by President Biden's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and is the third of three digital equity programs established by the act.
Cruz argues that the program requires grant applicants to prioritize “targeted populations,” a category that explicitly includes racial and ethnic minorities in the program. He argued that this approach contained unacceptable racial discrimination, and that the federal government could not use racial classifications unless it demonstrated a compelling interest and “tightly calibrated” action. insisted.
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President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, that Elon Musk (left) and Vivek Ramaswamy (right) will lead the Department of Government Efficiency. (Getty Images)
“NOFO provides no evidence that racial minorities face discrimination when accessing the Internet, let alone the specific instances of discrimination that NTIA seeks to address,” Cruz said. I wrote it. “And we are not trying to argue that this discrimination is necessary to avoid prison race riots.”
Cruz added, “NOFO does not define 'minority,' so it is impossible to determine whether it is underinclusive, but in any case, all It is over-inclusive because it includes people and does not involve any determination of what race that particular group is.” faced discrimination in accessing broadband; ”
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Congress is rushing to prepare to implement the recommendations of President-elect Donald Trump's new DOGE commission. (Getty Images)
Mr. Cruz, ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, urged the NTIA to 12 They asked for a response by March 12th.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to NTIA for comment.
