July 17, 2020

Support Grows for Emergency Broadband Connection Act

Dozens of new groups endorse bill to keep working Americans connected to critical health care and educational resources during the pandemic

Washington, D.C. – Ahead of planned Senate discussions on the next relief bill for the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced support from dozens of new organizations for the Emergency Broadband Connections Act, and two new cosponsors.

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance announced its endorsement for Wyden’s bill on June 30. Over 220 other advocacy groups also joined together July 8 on behalf of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights to write in support of Wyden’s bill.

“Even as some states re-open, nearly all people in the nation—from seniors to children—must continue to rely on broadband to work, learn, and meet daily needs as they continue to social distance. The need for connectivity across the country, including in the U.S. territories, has never been greater, exacerbating the consequences of the existing digital divide,” the coalition wrote in support.

New endorsements from that letter include:

  • AFL-CIO
  • American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
  • Access Humboldt
  • African American Ministers In Action
  • AIDS Foundation Chicago
  • Alianza Nacional de Campesinas
  • American Association of People with Disabilities
  • American Council of the Blind
  • American Federation of Teachers
  • American Library Association
  • American Physical Therapy Association
  • American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
  • Andrew Goodman Foundation
  • Arizona Council of Human Service Providers
  • Association of Assistive Technology Act Program
  • Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)
  • Augustus F. Hawkins Foundation
  • Autistic Self Advocacy Network
  • Center for Responsible Lending
  • Central American Resource Center
  • Children's Home & Aid
  • Citizens Action Coalition of IN
  • Clearinghouse on Women's Issues
  • Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
  • Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces
  • Cunningham Township Supervisor's Office
  • Disability Law Center
  • Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)
  • Equal Rights Advocates
  • Equality North Carolina
  • Fair Count
  • Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana
  • Farmworker Association of Florida
  • Feminist Majority Foundation
  • Filipina Women's Network
  • George Wiley Center
  • Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network
  • Green for All
  • Hindu American Foundation
  • Hispanic Federation
  • Housing Choice Partners
  • Japanese American Citizens League
  • Just Harvest
  • Justice for Migrant Women
  • Justice in Aging
  • Lambda Legal
  • League of Women Voters of the United States
  • Matthew Shepard Foundation
  • Media Alliance
  • Michael Reese Research and Education Foundation
  • Mississippi Center for Justice
  • National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
  • National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE)
  • National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
  • National Association of Social Workers 
  • National Black Justice Coalition
  • National Center for Law and Economic Justice
  • National Center for Learning Disabilities
  • National Center for Lesbian Rights
  • National Center for Transgender Equality
  • National Coalition for Literacy
  • National Coalition for the Homeless
  • National Community Action Partnership
  • National Council on Independent Living
  • National Disability Rights Network
  • National Health Law Program
  • National Indian Education Association 
  • National League of Cities
  • National Organization for Women
  • National Partnership for Women & Families 
  • National Urban League 
  • NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
  • OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates
  • Our Children Oregon
  • Partnership for America's Children
  • PCUN
  • Pennsylvania Utility Law Project, on behalf of our low income clients
  • People for the American Way
  • PFLAG National
  • Project Appleseed
  • RCHN Community Health Foundation
  • Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
  • South Asian Network
  • Southeast Asia Resource Action Center 
  • Success Against All Odds
  • Texas Progressive Action Network
  • The Arc of the United States
  • UnidosUS 
  • Urbana Champaign Independent Media Center
  • Workers Center of Central NY
  • Workplace Fairness

U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Doug Jones, D-Ala., have also joined Wyden’s Emergency Broadband Connections Act as co-sponsors.

The legislation parallels provisions of the House HEROES Act, and the Emergency Broadband Connections Act by Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas.

The full bill text is available here and a summary here.

A full list of supportive statements is available here.

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