By Forum Staff
To bring more attention to the fight to save a key federal program that ensures internet access for many throughout Queens, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) announced on Tuesday that a borough resident who relies on the initiative will be her guest for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday night.
The Affordable Connectivity Program, which Meng helped to pass through Congress in 2021, is a crucial initiative that has provided thousands in Queens – and across New York City – with monthly discounts on their broadband service and savings on internet devices. The program is set to run out of money as early as this coming April, leaving thousands of local residents struggling to pay for the fast and reliable internet access they need.
Meng will bring constituent Briteny Xu to the President’s speech. She is a medical student studying osteopathic medicine at New York Institute of Technology whose family depends on the ACP for critical broadband access. She requires the internet every day to attend online lectures and complete assignments. In addition, her grandparents who live with her also rely on the household’s ACP-subsidized service to get online.
“Thank you, Congresswoman Meng, for your leadership in working to save the ACP and for having me as your guest at this year’s the State of the Union address,” Xu said. “My family and I have been enrolled in this program since 2022, relying on it for dependable Wi-Fi ever since. With our daily dependence on the internet, I believe that affordable access to the internet should be considered a necessity for all Americans.”
Xu, 24, was born, raised and still resides in Queens. She graduated from Hunter College before enrolling at New York Institute of Technology. Her grandfather is 85 years old, and her grandmother is 80.
Enacted as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the ACP provides qualifying households with a monthly discount of up to $30 on internet bills, as well as a one-time discount of up to $100 on a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer (with a copay between $10 and $50). Since launching, over 22.5 million households have signed up to receive the monthly ACP discount. This includes more than 62,000 households in Meng’s congressional district in Queens, saving approximately $27.4 million a year. Those benefiting nationwide are millions of college students, veterans, seniors, and families with school-aged children.
The ACP is no longer accepting applications, and enrolled households have received wind-down notices on the imminent end of the program. However, an estimated 36,000 more in the Congresswoman’s district would qualify for the program should it be extended.
To ensure Americans who need it can still receive ACP benefits, Meng has cosponsored the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act that would provide $7 billion to support the program. The bill is pending before the House Appropriations Committee, of which the Congresswoman serves as New York’s senior member. Meng last year also signed several letters urging congressional leaders and relevant congressional committees to extend anywhere from $6 to $7 billion for the ACP.
