Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds FCC Proposal to Modernize Lifeline to Help Close Digital Divide

WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to the Federal Communications Commission’s proposal to modernize the Lifeline program. The FCC is poised to vote on the proposal at its March 31 open meeting:

“Last June, The Leadership Conference issued a call to the Federal Communications Commission to help bridge the digital divide by supporting low-income households’ access to high speed broadband Internet, and offered a series of principles to guide the process.

We applaud today’s announcement from Chairman Wheeler and Commissioner Clyburn outlining how the FCC intends to implement those principles.

Universality, excellence, choice and competition, innovation, efficiency, transparency, and accountability must be reflected in any modernization effort, and we look forward to working with the Commission to make sure that the Lifeline program will offer the highest quality services to low–income people.”

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.

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