Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Bill to Narrow Digital Divide and Modernize Lifeline Program

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the House introduction of the Broadband Adoption Act, which would modernize the Lifeline program to help low-income households gain access to broadband internet service:

“High-speed internet is an essential service for Americans seeking to move out of poverty and succeed in the modern economy. This bill will help put modern communications services within the reach of those communities that most need broadband access to survive and thrive, including communities of color, low-income communities, and people with disabilities.

Internet access is critically important for children to achieve in schools, for adults attending school online or applying for any kind of job, and for a host of other services and activities ranging from access to health care to civic participation. At a time when those most in need of the advantages of high-speed Internet do not or cannot use it because of cost, reducing the high cost of broadband service is a concrete step our nation can take toward an inclusive economic recovery.

We see this bill, if enacted, as an important step toward narrowing the digital divide. We thank Representatives Matsui, Waxman, and Eshoo for introducing it and urge their colleagues to support its passage.”

Wade Henderson is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.