Millions of Americans may lose access to affordable internet program this month

Walter Prescher is simply a Methodist pastor successful agrarian Texas who served 3 Army tours successful Iraq. He’s besides a begetter of 12 grown children, pinch 9 still astatine home. And he’s 1 of 23 cardinal Americans who could suffer a captious government subsidy allowing them to person net entree erstwhile it expires astatine nan extremity of May. 

"That conscionable gave america $50 a period to salary for nan kids to do sports aliases set aliases immoderate they wanted to do, truthful it helped retired nan budget," Prescher told Fox News Digital.

Millions of group successful low-income households are astatine consequence of losing a $30 to $75 per period subsidy arsenic portion of nan Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) erstwhile backing runs retired astatine nan extremity of May. Now, a group of bipartisan lawmakers is trying to springiness nan programme a helping hand. 

Under nan erstwhile net setup his family could afford, Prescher said it would return arsenic agelong arsenic 3 hours for 1 of his older children to complete 10% of her homework owed to slow net speed. With nan connectivity abilities afforded by ACP, that clip was trim to conscionable 45 minutes.

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Reps. Yvette Clarke and Brian Fitzpatrick are starring nan bipartisan push to support nan ACP live past this month.  (DeAgostini/Tom Williams/Bill Clark/Metamorworks)

"It made each nan quality successful nan world," he said.

Prescher besides useful pinch nan nonprofit Easter Seals successful nan Greater Houston area to thief others motion up for ACP. Of nan group he’s worked pinch straight — galore of whom are chap veterans — Prescher said ACP has fixed them nan expertise to spell backmost to schoolhouse and study occupation skills, use for jobs and meet wellness needs remotely.

"The Affordable Connectivity Program has been captious for them to beryllium capable to spend [internet] arsenic good arsenic return portion successful online school, arsenic good arsenic use for jobs online," Prescher said. "And I activity pinch a assortment of people, but I do activity pinch a batch of veterans. So telehealth is simply a captious element, particularly for individuals pinch a assortment of intelligence wellness issues. … That entree to telehealth, them being capable to interact pinch aesculapian providers without being forced to time off … is perfectly critical."

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Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., is helping to lead a bipartisan effort to get Congress to return up nan Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, which would support ACP solvent done nan extremity of this twelvemonth successful an effort to springiness lawmakers clip to betterment and amended nan program.

"I deliberation for galore who are economically burdened, this has been a literal lifeline," Clarke said. "Without nan subsidy, thing has to give. And it whitethorn beryllium broadband, unfortunately, but you person to provender your family. You person to acquisition medications. You person to travel. Cost of surviving has gone up successful each of these areas. And knowing that you could dangle connected that subsidy … it makes each nan quality successful nan world."

Walter Prescher is an Army seasoned and Methodist pastor who is an ACP recipient and helps others entree it arsenic well. (Walter Prescher)

Her measure has 206 House Democratic co-sponsors and 24 Republicans connected board, including Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., who is spearheading nan push alongside Clarke.

"We unrecorded successful a very progressively integer world. Broadband net entree has go a necessity, nary longer a luxury," Fitzpatrick said.

He urged much of his chap Republicans to get connected board, emphasizing that a important number of nan much than 23 cardinal ACP recipients are subject veterans.

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"A batch of mental wellness patients, a batch of veterans pinch PTSD, trust connected this," Fitzpatrick said, pointing retired that astir a cardinal veterans trust connected nan programme "to person entree to their telehealth services.

"So, that's nan entreaty I’m making to my Republican colleagues. This is simply a pro-veterans bill. And you're looking astatine a cardinal veterans you're gonna time off down connected nan wellness attraction beforehand if we fto this programme expire."

Both he and Clarke were optimistic they could prevention nan programme successful time.

Lawmakers are pushing Speaker Mike Johnson to bring nan ACP Extension Act up for a vote (Getty Images)

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Fitzpatrick said he has discussed nan measure pinch a personnel of House GOP leadership but did not uncover who.

Both nan White House and nan Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are lobbying Congress to prevention ACP.

"Today, May 1, originates nan last period that Affordable Connectivity Program households will person immoderate use connected their net bills. Without legislature action to widen backing for nan program, millions of Americans will spot their net bills spell up aliases suffer net entree astatine nan extremity of this month," nan White House warned Wednesday.

Fox News Digital reached retired to Speaker Mike Johnson’s agency for remark but did not perceive backmost by property time.