ICYMI: Senator Murray Blasts Trump’s Attack on Resources to Close Digital Divide: “Republicans Will Have to Explain Why Middle Schoolers in Rural Districts Shouldn’t Get Laptops”
Murray first authored and introduced the Digital Equity Act in 2019 and got it passed into law as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
***WATCH FULL PRESS CONFERENCE HERE; DOWNLOAD HERE***
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and author of the Digital Equity Act, held a virtual press conference in response to President Trump illegally blocking funding from the Digital Equity Act after falsely attacking the law as “racist” and “unconstitutional.” Murray first authored and introduced the Digital Equity Act in 2019 and got it passed into law as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Joining Senator Murray for the call were Aaron Wheeler, Director of the Washington State Broadband Office, and Angela Siefer, Executive Director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA).
Senator Murray’s Digital Equity Act passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2022 and provides $2.75 billion to help cities, states, and Tribes close the digital divide by providing individuals and communities with the skills, supports, and technologies necessary to take full advantage of a broadband internet connection—from helping seniors get online to ensuring students in every classroom have the tools they need to succeed.
“A President cannot overrule a law—period. And certainly not through a tweet. But that hasn’t stopped this administration from illegally blocking the funding from the Digital Equity Act to all 50 states. I passed this law in 2021 as a part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—and I actually first introduced the bill in 2019 to help close the digital divide, even before COVID,” said Senator Murray. “I worked hard and built a massive coalition of support for the Digital Equity Act and I worked really hard to make sure Republicans would be on board too—Senator Portman from Ohio co-led the bill with me. And guess what? Digital Equity passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. And that’s because my Republican colleagues have heard the same stories as I have—like kids in rural communities forced to drive to McDonalds parking lots for Wi-Fi to do their homework… It is insane—absolutely nuts—that Trump is blocking resources to help make sure kids in rural school districts can get hotspots or laptops, all because he doesn’t like the word equity! This administration’s deranged obsession with forcing extremist right-wing culture wars on all of us is not an acceptable or legal reason to deny states access to these funds.”
“Canceling contracts related to Washington State’s $15.9 million Digital Equity Capacity Grant will severely hinder our efforts to close the digital divide,” said Aaron Wheeler, Director of the Washington State Broadband Office. “Cutting this vital program will expose millions of Washington residents to cyber risks, weaken the economic framework of Washington’s communities, and set back educational and workforce opportunities. And the long-term costs of security breaches, cyber theft and public trust will outweigh any short-term budget savings… Our team had just awarded our Advanced Cybersecurity Literacy Program grant to begin the state’s efforts to develop a curriculum that would have rolled out across the state to help educate and protect vulnerable individuals who are often targets of online scams. Then we got the federal notice that our grant had been canceled. We have all seen stories about victims of these complex online crimes and the impact they can have when they fall victim to online fraud. Our cybersecurity work would have helped prevent this by providing education about the online risks everyone faces. The program would have provided the tools people need to avoid these scams.”
“The Digital Equity Act passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress to help close the digital divide in rural, urban, and Tribal communities. Fifty states and six territories are counting on these funds to implement essential programs, and that work is already underway. NDIA is one of 65 projects recommended for award, and our subgrantees were prepared to launch 13 programs in 11 states beginning on March 1. NDIA’s shovel-ready projects alone would have supported over 30,000 people in applying for jobs, talking to their doctors, completing homework assignments, and learning to avoid online scams. We are grateful to Senator Murray for standing up for this vital work and the communities that cannot afford to be left behind,” said Angela Siefer, Executive Director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA).
Senator Murray first introduced the Digital Equity Act in 2019 and worked hard to build a robust coalition of 100+ organizations to secure strong bipartisan consensus and support for her legislation, ultimately passing it into law as a part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Senator Murray’s Digital Equity Act provided $2.75 billion to establish three federal grant programs, administered by the NTIA, to promote digital equity nationwide by:
- Building Capacity within States through Formula Grants: Creates a five-year $300 million per year formula grant program for all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to fund the creation and implementation of comprehensive digital equity plans in each State.
- Spurring Targeted Action through Competitive Grants: Creates a five-year $250 million per year competitive grant program to support digital inclusion projects undertaken by individual groups, coalitions, and/or communities of interest.
- Supporting Research and Evidence-Based Policymaking: Tasks NTIA with evaluating digital equity projects and providing policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels with detailed information about which projects are most effective.
Digital equity funds can be used in all kinds of ways to support Washington state families and our economy:
- Workforce: supporting the work of local workforce boards, community and technical colleges, and community-based organizations by increasing access to devices across underserved populations, increasing the digital skills of Washington’s current and future workforce, and by increasing the accessibility of state and local resources to workers.
- Education: supporting Washington’s public schools, community and technical colleges, and community-based organizations as they work to integrate technology literacy and fluency in their curriculum, reducing barriers and advancing access to technology, including digital devices, internet connection, and digital skills training.
- Health Care: supporting the Washington Department of Health and the Washington State Health Care Authority in expanding opportunities for Washingtonians to access telehealth services, reducing the need to travel long distances in rural areas for preventative and specialist care. Additionally, the digital equity funds could be used to work with partner organizations to expand the availability and awareness of culturally sensitive and linguistically accessible online healthcare resources and services.
- And much more.
Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below and HERE:
“Thank you everyone for joining. I wish we didn’t need to have this call today, but as usual President Trump is spouting off about something he has no clue about—and he’s making it everyone else’s problem.
“Last week, on a Thursday afternoon President Trump suddenly decided to ‘declare’ the Digital Equity Act, a bipartisan law that I wrote, unconstitutional. Needless to say, a President cannot overrule a law—period. And certainly not through a tweet. But that hasn’t stopped this administration from illegally blocking the funding from the Digital Equity Act to all 50 states.
“I passed this law in 2021 as a part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—and I actually first introduced the bill in 2019 to help close the digital divide, even before COVID.
“I remember being in Forks Washington back in 2019, a very remote part of my state on the Olympic Peninsula talking about this bill. A local math teacher told me when it came to high-speed internet and digital resources, they felt like Port Townsend in the 1890s waiting for rail—for anyone who’s not familiar, the train never did make it over the mountains to Port Townsend. But I was determined to not let history repeat itself with high-speed internet.
“So, I worked hard and built a massive coalition of support for the Digital Equity Act and I worked really hard to make sure Republicans would be on board too—Senator Portman from Ohio co-led the bill with me.
“And guess what? Digital Equity passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. And that’s because my Republican colleagues have heard the same stories as I have—like kids in rural communities forced to drive to McDonalds parking lots for Wi-Fi to do their homework. That shouldn’t happen in America!
“Everyone agrees the federal government has a role to play in closing the digital divide. This isn’t a partisan issue. That’s why we saw public statements of support for Digital Equity dollars from Democrats and Republicans.
“Every single state—all 50 of them—submitted a plan to the Biden administration to qualify for Digital Equity dollars, outlining exactly how they would use these funds and why they needed them.
“Not a single Republican governor in 2024 felt the law was unconstitutional then—certainly none of them thought it was ‘racist’ or ‘illegal’ like the President is saying.
“That’s why people as conservative as the Republican governors of Montana and Ohio were touting Digital Equity dollars. Even Kristi Noem’s administration made certain to plaster her name all over the digital equity plan they submitted to the Biden administration.
“Everyone wanted Digital Equity dollars—and listen, call it digital equity or digital opportunity, the money does the same thing! So why is the President all of a sudden doing this?
“It is insane—absolutely nuts—that Trump is blocking resources to help make sure kids in rural school districts can get hotspots or laptops, all because he doesn’t like the word equity!
“This administration’s deranged obsession with forcing extremist right-wing culture wars on all of us is not an acceptable or legal reason to deny states access to these funds.
“Whether it’s helping veterans in Ohio navigate the VA benefits available to them online or making sure seniors in rural Texas can access telehealth resources—Trump is stealing from every state in America.
“Democrats will fight this every step of the way, but my Republican colleagues will need to explain to their constituents why middle schoolers in rural districts shouldn’t get laptops.
“With that, I’m glad to turn it over to Aaron Wheeler who knows better than anyone that Digital Equity dollars will help everyone—in every community, in every part of Washington state.”
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