Reactions to President Trump's Attack on the Digital Equity Act

Senator Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) said, “On the same day Senate Republicans voted to strip internet access from students and educators, President Trump is illegally attempting to end a program that connects millions of people to the online world. In New Mexico, we know the difference between slow internet, fast internet, and no internet and the challenges that come with it. Our students, seniors, veterans, and small businesses rely on internet access for education, health care, economic opportunity, and public safety. President Trump is leaving our communities in the dark. The President does not have the authority to unilaterally end this bipartisan law, deem it unconstitutional, or withhold funding that was appropriated by Congress. Congressional Democrats will fight back—and Republicans must stand up to defend this law that benefits all of our constituents.”

“As usual the President has no idea what he’s talking about. I wrote the Digital Equity Act to help close the digital divide in America—it’s about making sure seniors can get online and equipping every student in every classroom with the tools they need to succeed, whether that’s a hotspot to take home or a laptop. My law provides maximal flexibility to cities, states, and Tribes so every local community can decide for themselves how they invest Digital Equity dollars—that’s why it passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.  Let’s be clear, every time President Trump refuses to spend funding appropriated by Congress, he’s stealing from the American people," said Senator Patty Murray (D-WA). “It is absolutely insane that resources meant to help red and blue communities—everyone from local school districts and libraries to workforce training programs and Tribes—close the digital divide will be illegally blocked because the President doesn’t like the word equity. Americans are sick and tired of extremist right-wing culture wars being forced down our throats. Republicans will have to explain to their constituents why this Republican administration doesn’t believe their local library should get funding to help seniors navigate telehealth options or why middle schoolers in rural districts shouldn’t get laptops.”

Alisa Valentin, Broadband Policy Director at Public Knowledge, said, "The ‘Digital Equity Act,’ a program designed to close the broadband adoption gap that excludes communities from full participation in the digital ecosystem, has been declared unconstitutional by a president who recently reminded the American public how unfamiliar he is with the very constitution he cites. President Trump’s claim that the ‘Digital Equity Act’ is ‘racist’ reflects his pattern of inverting the meaning of such terms, labeling efforts to address racial inequity as discriminatory themselves, making clear his administration’s intent to block or claw back initiatives aimed at correcting historical injustices that impact Black communities and other communities of color. The irony is that the weaponization of the word ‘equity’ will halt progress in closing the digital divide and will also severely impact his voter base of white Americans who live in rural areas in red states, including veterans and the elderly."

“The Digital Equity Act is essential, bipartisan legislation designed to help Americans everywhere get an affordable internet connection and build the skills to use it to improve their lives. Ending this vital program would only hurt the elderly, working people, veterans, disabled individuals, low-income families and people in rural communities, denying them access to jobs and educational opportunities, lifesaving news and information, and other untold benefits and opportunities," said Free Press Action co-CEO Craig Aaron.

"Calling the Digital Equity Act unconstitutional is not only incorrect — it hurts millions of Americans who need digital navigation support and home internet to find jobs, access healthcare, and compete in today’s modern economy," said Angela Siefer, Executive Director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. "The Digital Equity Act was not an executive order issued at the whim of one individual. It passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress to help close the digital divide in rural, urban, and Tribal communities. 56 States and Territories are counting on the funds to implement essential programs across their states, and their work is already underway."

"SHLB also opposes efforts to dismantle the Digital Equity Act—a bipartisan law that supports internet adoption, digital skills training, and opportunity for all," said Schools Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition Executive Director Joey Wender.

Johannes Bauer, Director of the Quello Center, said, "Eliminating support for programs developing digital literacy will prevent or slow the adoption of cost-saving innovations in the health care sector, the provision of government services, and the adoption of emerging artificial intelligence-enabled services. This would not only harm the individuals and locations that would be impeded in developing these necessary skills, it would have broad repercussions and harm the nation as a whole."

Prem Trivedi, Policy Director of the Open Technology Institute at New America, said, "'Ending' DEA would undercut the success of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD), the $42 billion broadband buildout program that the federal government continues to support. DEA was created to complement BEAD by guaranteeing demand for the newly created networks and addressing barriers to adoption that keep communities offline even when broadband service is available. Without DEA, BEAD will leave undone the hardest work of closing the digital divide and condemn many Americans to life on the wrong side of the divide."

"What is ILLEGAL and UNCONSTITUTIONAL is 'ending' digital equity funding authorized by a bipartisan Congress in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act," said Benton Institute Senior Fellow Gigi Sohn. "It also undermines past, current and future government and private sector investment in broadband—networks are more valuable when more people can use them."