1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Today I’m writing about the unlawful attempt by Trump and his minions to circumvent Congress and claw back lawfully passed legislation: The Digital Equity Act was passed as part of the infrastructure bill with overwhelming bipartisan support. I doubt that Trump and the architects of Project 2025 even know what the Digital Equity Act does. The act, as you know, was designed to bridge the digital divide and ensure all Americans have access to technology and internet connectivity. Dismantling this program would only exacerbate existing inequalities and leave many underserved communities further behind in today's digital age. The $2.75 billion in funding allocated by Congress was designed to provide vital resources like internet hotspots, computers for students, tele-health access for rural seniors, and digital skills training. Many of these resources are badly needed in states controlled by Republicans. Digital Equity is a new issue and very important for a healthy democracy because now technology is no longer a nice-to-have. You have to have the internet and you have to know how to use the technology just to survive, let alone to thrive and find jobs and businesses large and small to connect to the markets they serve. Contrary to what Republicans and Trump think, The Digital Equity Act was written to meet the diverse technology needs of veterans, people with disabilities, rural residents and other underserved groups across ALL demographics and all kinds of businesses. I urge you to restore funding for this program that will help create a more digitally equitable society where everyone can participate fully online for education, jobs, healthcare and more. The digital divide must be addressed through programs like this, not abandoned at this critical time. Thank you.