Republicans try to take cheap phones and broadband away from poor people

[Jimbo101]

ARS Technica

$9.25 monthly subsidy for mobile service would be eliminated by Republican bill.

Nineteen Republican lawmakers are trying to eliminate subsidies that help poor people purchase cell phone service and broadband.

The legislation filed on Friday targets Lifeline, which is a Universal Service Fund program paid for by surcharges on phone bills. If the bill passes, low-income Americans would no longer be able to use $9.25 monthly subsidies toward cellular phone service or mobile broadband. The subsidies would still be available for landline phone service.

Scott's bill is titled the "End Taxpayer Funded Cell Phones Act," although Lifeline is funded by phone bill surcharges rather than taxes. The bill would not return those surcharges to consumers directly.

[Egnever]

1. Just shows how stupid these folks are

It was fake news targeted to poor folks that won them the election.

[maxsolomon]

2. this subsidy is for REALLY poor people

who don't vote. in general.

[Kaleva]

3. I have a so-called Obama cell phone

Being on SSDI, I qualify for it.

[Egnever]

4. Like say a bunch of ex coal miners?

[maxsolomon]

9. maybe, but the ex-coal miners THINK they're for

welfare queens.

emotions rule over facts.

[Egnever]

11. or republican propaganda delivered through their Obama phone.

Just saying. These guys are not the sharpest tools in the shed taking away what is many poor peoples internet connection is taking away a big slice of their FAKE NEWS.

[louis-t]

8. And the program was started under Reagan.

Wanna see some heads explode?

[Runningdawg]

5. Get a job! (repeat Ad nauseam)

Ever try to get a job without a phone???

[Bengus81]

6. That's another $1.3B Trump can use for tax cuts for the top 1%....

Just keep looking under those couch cushions and find a billion here and a billion there. Trump doesn't give a flying fuck who gets hurt. Deficit reduction my ass,it will NEVER be used for that.

"The Wheeler FCC set the Lifeline budget at $2.25 billion a year, indexed to inflation, while creating an independent entity to verify subscriber eligibility in order to reduce fraud. The $2.25 billion is a cap—actual spending in 2017 is projected to be $1.32 billion."

[louis-t]

7. Republicans think it is their lot in life to punish people

for slights to them, real or imagined. Republicans make me sick.

[smirkymonkey]

21. It's just cruel. They disgust me.

They seem to get some kind of sadistic glee out of screwing over the poor while constantly looking for more ways to put taxpayer dollars into their own pockets. I hate them all.

[Vinca]

10. Uh oh. They've forgotten Saint Ronald Reagan started the program in 1985.

[Jimbo101]

12. Universal Service Fund (Lifeline) was established in 1996 -

- signed by President William Jefferson Clinton

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Service_Fund#Telecommunications_Act_of_1996

[Vinca]

13. Odd -

https://www.fcc.gov/general/lifeline-program-low-income-consumers

From the horse's mouth, not Wikipedia.

[Jimbo101]

14. Thanks - I stand corrected

I'm reading my linked article, and the one you posted, and both state that it was Reagan that signed it (1985)

"Lifeline was created under President Reagan in 1985 to subsidize landline phone service, and it expanded to cover cell phone service in 2005 under President George W. Bush. Lifeline grew during the Obama administration, and critics took to calling it the "Obama phone" program. Scott's announcement said he intends to end the "Obama-era free cell phone program."


The Republicans giveth - and Republicans taketh away

[Vinca]

20. Mostly taketh away.

[Garrett78]

17. Even if they happen to know that, they don't give a shit.

And neither do the rubes who vote for them.

[GulfCoast66]

15. Ronald Reagan started this program

Reagan started all this shit, but I honestly believe he would be horrified at where it has led. At least conspiring with Russia.

[Judi Lynn]

16. Do Republicans reward each other for coming up with new ways to stick it to the very poor?

Jethro, er, a, Rep. Austin, standing with Caitlin Banks, Miss Georgia, Jr.

[Ilsa]

18. So what are they going to do with the surcharges? nt

[Bengus81]

22. The surcharges are what really need to LOOKED at in this article....

Those Republican thugs have ZERO desire to lower your cell bill when they kill this off. Nah...they wouldn't PROFIT doing that. What they want to do is keep that fee intact and let millions keep paying in and they claim they'll stuff it in the treasurery for "deficit reduction".

MY DYING ASS they'll do that. That's 1.3 BILLION big ones or more to FUND their tax cut or use on that fucked up not needed wall. This is just more of the same with those lying hypocrites.

[gratuitous]

19. The holy trinity of conservative thought

Waste, fraud, and abuse, rife throughout the government and every government program. With a couple of notable exceptions.

The nifty thing about this is that the surcharges aren't returned to we the people.