Thune, Cruz Statement on the FCC's Mismanagement of a Taxpayer-Funded Broadband Subsidy Program

Press Release

U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), incoming ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today released the following statement regarding the Government Accountability Office's (GAO's) new report on the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The report revealed that the FCC is not effectively detecting fraud in the ACP, which is designed to provide eligible households with a discount on broadband services and connected devices.

"The results of GAO's findings reveal that the FCC's ACP is subject to massive waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars," said the senators. "We find it incredibly concerning that the FCC has failed to establish a process that regularly assesses fraud risks within the ACP. It is incumbent upon the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the FCC, to have an oversight hearing to address GAO's report and hold the FCC accountable to American taxpayers."

In April 2021, Sens. Thune and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, requested a GAO review of the FCC's Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program's effectiveness and efficiency for oversight purposes. The EBB program was later replaced by the ACP on December 31, 2021.

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