Republicans try to take cheap phones and broadband away from poor people

[steve2470]

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/08/republicans-try-to-take-cheap-phones-and-broadband-away-from-poor-people/

$9.25 monthly subsidy for mobile service would be eliminated by Republican bill.

Nineteen Republican lawmakers are trying to eliminate subsidies that help poor people purchase cell phone service and broadband.

The legislation filed on Friday targets Lifeline, which is a Universal Service Fund program paid for by surcharges on phone bills. If the bill passes, low-income Americans would no longer be able to use $9.25 monthly subsidies toward cellular phone service or mobile broadband. The subsidies would still be available for landline phone service.

"Hardworking American taxpayers are already overburdened and should not be forced to pay for a program that has vastly expanded beyond its intended scope and is riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse," US Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) said in an announcement of his legislation. "My bill will reform the Lifeline Program and restore it to its original purpose of providing landline services and prohibit Universal Service support for mobile services. In order to promote government accountability, cut government fraud and waste, and protect consumers from further increases to their phone bills, the Lifeline Program’s free cell phone plans should end."

Scott's bill is titled the "End Taxpayer Funded Cell Phones Act," although Lifeline is funded by phone bill surcharges rather than taxes. The bill would not return those surcharges to consumers directly.

[Docreed2003]

1. Funny how the GOP only talks "waste fraud and abuse"

When it comes to cutting programs that actually benefit the poor. How about forcing a review of the DoD's budgetary spending, haven't had that in decades! Or maybe all of those corporate tax loopholes that allow multi billion dollar companies to pay less taxes than the average American??? Yeah, like I thought, crickets from the right!

[kacekwl]

2. Yea you dumb freeloaders,

Now try to get a job or actually do anything these days without a phone or internet. I hate these people with a white hot passion.

[Doreen]

3. You stupid selfish assholes!!!

I help feed homeless people every Saturday and they have cell phones through that program. We have these people who are homeless and are getting more taken away now you want this taken away also. If they are sick and need help the phone is helpful and for a lot of women who are homeless the only thing between getting raped or not raped is that fucking phone!!! Gee, they even help the homeless people get jobs because the employers can reach them.