Meng to Bring Queens Student to President Biden’s State of the Union Address Thursday Night

QUEENS, NY – To bring more attention to the fight to save a key federal program that ensures internet access for many throughout Queens, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) announced today that a borough resident who relies on the initiative will be her guest for President Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday night.

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which Meng helped to pass through Congress in 2021, is a crucial initiative that has provided thousands in Queens – and across New York City – with monthly discounts on their broadband service and savings on internet devices. The program is set to run out of money as early as this coming April, leaving thousands of local residents struggling to pay for the fast and reliable internet access they need.

Meng will bring constituent Briteny Xu to the President’s speech. She is a medical student studying osteopathic medicine at New York Institute of Technology whose family depends on the ACP for critical broadband access. She requires the internet every day to attend online lectures and complete assignments. In addition, her grandparents who live with her also rely on the household’s ACP-subsidized service to get online.

“In Congress, I have been proud to champion the increase of internet access for those in Queens and across New York and the nation, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic where we saw how vital internet service was for schools, people’s jobs and in our neighborhoods and communities,” said Congresswoman Meng. “The ACP has provided a critical lifeline for millions who need help affording reliable and high-speed internet, and bringing Briteny as my guest will help underscore the urgent need to keep this program going. Her story highlights the importance of the ACP and making sure it does not expire due to a lack of funding. I’m excited to welcome her to Washington this week.”

“Thank you, Congresswoman Meng, for your leadership in working to save the ACP and for having me as your guest at this year’s the State of the Union address,” said Briteny Xu. “My family and I have been enrolled in this program since 2022, relying on it for dependable Wi-Fi ever since. With our daily dependence on the internet, I believe that affordable access to the internet should be considered a necessity for all Americans.”

Xu, 24, was born, raised and still resides in Queens. She graduated from Hunter College before enrolling at New York Institute of Technology. Her grandfather is 85 years old, and her grandmother is 80.

Enacted as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the ACP provides qualifying households with a monthly discount of up to $30 on internet bills, as well as a one-time discount of up to $100 on a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer (with a copay between $10 and $50). Since launching, over 22.5 million households have signed up to receive the monthly ACP discount. This includes more than 62,000 households in Meng’s congressional district in Queens, saving approximately $27.4 million a year. Those benefiting nationwide are millions of college students, veterans, seniors, and families with school-aged children.

The ACP is no longer accepting applications, and enrolled households have received wind-down notices on the imminent end of the program. However, an estimated 36,000 more in the Congresswoman’s district would qualify for the program should it be extended.

To ensure Americans who need it can still receive ACP benefits, Meng has cosponsored the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act (H.R. 6929) that would provide $7 billion to support the program. The bill is pending before the House Appropriations Committee, of which the Congresswoman serves as New York’s senior member. Meng last year also signed several letters urging congressional leaders and relevant congressional committees to extend anywhere from $6 to $7 billion for the ACP.

Meng’s push to extend the ACP comes after she has long fought for programs to access affordable, high-speed internet for students and communities. In 2021, she helped secure $7.1 billion in the American Rescue Plan to create the Emergency Connectivity Fund, which helped millions of students connect to the internet through Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, internet service and internet-enabled devices. This included money for internet access at schools and libraries throughout Queens and New York City.

President Biden is scheduled to deliver his annual State of the Union address at 9 p.m. on Thursday (March 7) before a joint session of Congress, where he will report of the state of the nation and talk about his priorities. It will take place in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

See attached photo of Briteny Xu.