Affordable Connectivity Program Reauthorization

Floor Speech

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Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, the most successful internet affordability program in our Nation's history will soon run out of money unless Congress acts.

There are 23 million families who rely on the Affordable Connectivity Program in our country. If Congress doesn't reauthorize this funding, the program will run out of money in a matter of weeks.

This is deeply concerning for thousands of our residents who depend on this program for internet access. In Michigan's 12th District alone, this program has benefited 110,000 households, reducing broadband costs in the district by $52.1 million annually.

Losing this access would jeopardize the well-being and opportunities, Mr. Speaker, for an estimated 64 million Americans, especially our seasoned residents. That is why the program is so important and why I cosponsored the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act and I urge Speaker Johnson to bring this bill to the floor for a vote.

Access to internet is a necessity for our communities; not a luxury. From education to employment to scheduling healthcare appointments to access to health services, everyone deserves affordable internet access.

Mr. Speaker, we cannot let this crucial resource expire and leave our residents disconnected. Disability Justice

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Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, disability rights are human rights. Everyone in our country and around the world, including people living with disabilities, deserves to lead a fulfilling life with dignity.

I am committed to dismantling the barriers and injustices our neighbors with disabilities face to ensure our country is living up to our values of equity and equal rights for all people.

Our neighbors with disabilities cannot receive the quality healthcare they need and deserve when medical facilities lack accessible equipment like examination tables, weight scales, dental chairs, and radiology devices. I can't even imagine.

This is why I joined my sister in service, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, in urging the Justice Department to address this issue and help the disabled community access equitable healthcare. I am so grateful for her leadership and partnership.

Please know that studies have shown that women with disabilities have a higher risk of dying from breast cancer and cervical cancer but are less likely than able-bodied women to receive mammograms and other tests to diagnose those conditions because of the lack of access to equipment.

Mr. Speaker, we must address this injustice with the urgency it deserves. Recognizing Eid Al-Fitr

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Ms. TLAIB. Today, Mr. Speaker, is Eid Al-Fitr, an end to the holy month of Ramadan.

Eid Mubarak to all my fellow Muslims in Michigan's 12th Congressional District, across the country, and the world. May Allah accept our fasts and deeds of the past month and forgive us for our shortcomings.

Mr. Speaker, this Eid is not the same for the Muslim communities that our Members represent. Gaza is on their minds and hearts today as they witness the starvation and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians continue.

The images of children in Gaza celebrating Eid on top of the rubble of their homes, schools, and masjids that no longer stand brings them to tears.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to please listen to them. Listen to our fellow Americans of the Muslim faith when they urge my colleagues to not just pray, but also demand a permanent cease-fire.

Mr. Speaker, saving lives should not be controversial. Housing Crisis

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Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, no one can disagree that we are facing a housing crisis in our country.

Today, the average renter now pays over 30 percent of their income toward rent, and 78 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. In metro Detroit alone, there are three extremely low-income renter households for each unit that is both affordable and available.

Our investments in public housing have long been insufficient. The Detroit Housing Commission needs hundreds of millions of dollars in capital improvements, but they only have $12 million annually to spend.

I introduced the Public Housing for the 21st Century Act to ensure that public housing developers have access to the latest, best practices using local policy tools and financing.

When it comes to homeownership, after the 2008 financial crisis, Michigan experienced the largest decrease in Black homeownership compared to any other State in the country. The Black homeownership rates in Wayne and Oakland counties in my district dropped more than 10 percentage points. This is a crisis that must be addressed.

This is Fair Housing Month. I am urging my colleagues to please support the largest investment in funding for HUD's affordable housing and homelessness programs for the next fiscal year.

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