Members of Congress tacking on unnecessary policy amendments (known as “riders”) to must-pass government funding bills is nothing new. It is often a sneaky loophole for getting controversial policies passed. Most recently, we’ve seen members of Congress, supported by major cable and internet companies, use riders to try to stop the Federal Communications Commission from enforcing net neutrality and opening up the video marketplace to competitors. This week, House Republican leaders have tacked on another rider to the funding bill that will likely reduce the availability of Lifeline, a program that subsidizes phone access to low-income consumers, which the FCC recently expanded to include broadband internet. Those same House leaders are also introducing a bill this week that will eliminate Lifeline funding for mobile devices, which is a cornerstone of the program. This bill will especially harm the poorest Americans who are most reliant on Lifeline and ​most likely to use mobile services. Lifeline is a widely-supported and successful program that has stood the test of time since its introduction in 1985. Not only do low-income Americans rely on Lifeline for access to essential communications technologies, the program is also helping to close the digital divide and support a thriving economy, especially with its recent expansion. Contact the members behind these attacks and tell them to you support the Lifeline program, and you will not stand for House leaders defunding the program through sneaky riders and destructive bills. Click here to tweet your support for Lifeline: http://ctt.ec/f76se or copy and paste the text into your account: Reps @SpeakerRyan, @AustinScottGA08, @kevinomccarthy, I support #Lifeline! Stop anti-Lifeline legislation, which expands #DigitalDivide. Learn more at these links: bit.ly/CongressProtectNetNeutrality publicknowledge.org/CostOfUnlockTheBoxDelays publicknowledge.org/LifelineModernized thehill.com/policy/technology/284110-house-to-consider-cell-phone-subsidies-block publicknowledge.org/LifelinePetitions fcc.gov/general/lifeline-program-low-income-consumers