West Virginia Attorney General issued the following announcement on May 21.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey joined a bipartisan coalition of 39 attorneys general in urging Congress to ensure that all Americans have adequate internet connectivity as part of any additional legislation that provides COVID-19 relief and recovery resources.
As West Virginians know after weeks of learning, working, socializing and seeking health care from home during this pandemic, internet access is essential for basic needs in world.
“A failure to act promptly will continue to leave millions of Americans struggling to catch up,” Attorney General Morrisey joined in writing. “And the importance of broadband has skyrocketed just at the time when so many Americans are struggling financially – more than 30 million unemployment claims have been filed in the last two months, a harbinger of the recession to come.”
In their letter to congressional leaders, the attorneys general urge Congress to provide state and local governments with adequate funding expressly dedicated to ensuring that all students and patients, especially senior citizens who are at risk, have adequate internet-enabled technology to participate equally in online learning and telemedicine.
Additionally, the coalition would like to see increased funding to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission Universal Service Fund. This would provide vital funding to rural and low-income populations, healthcare providers and educators with the goal of bridging the digital divide.
Original source can be found here.
