On May 8, President Trump announced on Truth Social that he is ending the Digital Equity Act, calling it unconstitutional, illegal, and racist. In fact, the opposite is true. The following statement can be attributed to Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Executive Director Dr. Revati Prasad and Director of Policy Engagement Drew Garner:

“The Digital Equity Act is constitutional, on solid legal footing, and aims to ensure everyone in America can reap the benefits of the 21st Century’s infrastructure of opportunity: broadband. 

“The aims of the Digital Equity Act are simple and uncontroversial: full broadband adoption and digital literacy because internet connectivity is critical to how we all participate in the society, economy, and civic institutions of the United States.

“In our system of checks and balances, Congress makes the law, the Administration implements the law, and the courts interpret the law. As states have partnered with the U.S. Department of Commerce to ensure everyone in the U.S. can get and stay online, there has not been a single legal challenge to the Digital Equity Act. Neither President Donald Trump nor Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is empowered to declare a law unconstitutional. That is the sole purview of the courts. The Administration’s responsibility is to implement the law as written.”

See full statement.

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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Kevin Taglang
Executive Editor, Communications-related Headlines
Benton Institute
for Broadband & Society
1041 Ridge Rd, Unit 214
Wilmette, IL 60091
847-220-4531
headlines AT benton DOT org

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Broadband Delivers Opportunities and Strengthens Communities