NewDEAL Leader and state Senator Jay Chaudhuri, a co-chair of the NewDEAL Forum’s Broadband Task Force, sent a letter to Congress (along with the other co-chairs of the Broadband Task Force) calling for $7 billion in ACP funding. Highlights from the Oct. 30, 2023 letter:

• Access to affordable high-speed internet is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity for millions of Americans to fully participate in today's digital economy.” 

• “ACP is a vital initiative that prevented millions of Americans from falling behind economically during the pandemic, and it is essential to the progress of other federal broadband investments and the ongoing pursuit of digital equity.”

Additionally, Senator Chaudhuri, along with Republican state Sen. Kevin Corbin, wrote a letter to numerous members of the North Carolina congressional delegation calling for adequate ACP funding. From the Jan. 31, 2024 letter:

• “The ACP is an essential component of North Carolina’s economic growth, workforce development, and innovation. Allowing the ACP to end would be a great disservice to our residents who rely on the program to access vital online services and resources. We urge you to support the bipartisan bill to allocate $7 billion in additional funding for the ACP. This is an essential step toward making the ACP permanent and the internet affordable.”