[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 61 (Wednesday, April 10, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H2257-H2258]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Ms. Tlaib) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, the most successful internet affordability 
program in our Nation's history will soon run out of money unless 
Congress acts.
  There are 23 million families who rely on the Affordable Connectivity 
Program in our country. If Congress doesn't reauthorize this funding, 
the program will run out of money in a matter of weeks.
  This is deeply concerning for thousands of our residents who depend 
on this program for internet access. In Michigan's 12th District alone, 
this program has benefited 110,000 households, reducing broadband costs 
in the district by $52.1 million annually.
  Losing this access would jeopardize the well-being and opportunities, 
Mr. Speaker, for an estimated 64 million Americans, especially our 
seasoned residents. That is why the program is so important and why I 
cosponsored the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act and I 
urge Speaker Johnson to bring this bill to the floor for a vote.
  Access to internet is a necessity for our communities; not a luxury. 
From education to employment to scheduling healthcare appointments to 
access to health services, everyone deserves affordable internet 
access.

  Mr. Speaker, we cannot let this crucial resource expire and leave our 
residents disconnected.


                           Disability Justice

  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, disability rights are human rights. Everyone 
in our country and around the world, including people living with 
disabilities, deserves to lead a fulfilling life with dignity.
  I am committed to dismantling the barriers and injustices our 
neighbors with disabilities face to ensure our country is living up to 
our values of equity and equal rights for all people.
  Our neighbors with disabilities cannot receive the quality healthcare 
they need and deserve when medical facilities lack accessible equipment 
like examination tables, weight scales, dental chairs, and radiology 
devices. I can't even imagine.
  This is why I joined my sister in service, Congresswoman Ayanna 
Pressley, in urging the Justice Department to address this issue and 
help the disabled community access equitable healthcare. I am so 
grateful for her leadership and partnership.
  Please know that studies have shown that women with disabilities have 
a higher risk of dying from breast cancer and cervical cancer but are 
less likely than able-bodied women to receive mammograms and other 
tests to diagnose those conditions because of the lack of access to 
equipment.
  Mr. Speaker, we must address this injustice with the urgency it 
deserves.


                        Recognizing Eid Al-Fitr

  Ms. TLAIB. Today, Mr. Speaker, is Eid Al-Fitr, an end to the holy 
month of Ramadan.
  Eid Mubarak to all my fellow Muslims in Michigan's 12th Congressional 
District, across the country, and the world. May Allah accept our fasts 
and deeds of the past month and forgive us for our shortcomings.
  Mr. Speaker, this Eid is not the same for the Muslim communities that 
our Members represent. Gaza is on their minds and hearts today as they 
witness

[[Page H2258]]

the starvation and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians continue.
  The images of children in Gaza celebrating Eid on top of the rubble 
of their homes, schools, and masjids that no longer stand brings them 
to tears.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to please listen to them. Listen to 
our fellow Americans of the Muslim faith when they urge my colleagues 
to not just pray, but also demand a permanent cease-fire.
  Mr. Speaker, saving lives should not be controversial.


                             Housing Crisis

  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, no one can disagree that we are facing a 
housing crisis in our country.
  Today, the average renter now pays over 30 percent of their income 
toward rent, and 78 percent of Americans are living paycheck to 
paycheck. In metro Detroit alone, there are three extremely low-income 
renter households for each unit that is both affordable and available.
  Our investments in public housing have long been insufficient. The 
Detroit Housing Commission needs hundreds of millions of dollars in 
capital improvements, but they only have $12 million annually to spend.
  I introduced the Public Housing for the 21st Century Act to ensure 
that public housing developers have access to the latest, best 
practices using local policy tools and financing.
  When it comes to homeownership, after the 2008 financial crisis, 
Michigan experienced the largest decrease in Black homeownership 
compared to any other State in the country. The Black homeownership 
rates in Wayne and Oakland counties in my district dropped more than 10 
percentage points. This is a crisis that must be addressed.
  This is Fair Housing Month. I am urging my colleagues to please 
support the largest investment in funding for HUD's affordable housing 
and homelessness programs for the next fiscal year.

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