In the coming months, we’re set to witness the largest investment in America’s digital infrastructure in history: $42.5 billion that should be a true lifeline for millions of Americans struggling with slow, unreliable, or nonexistent internet connections.

But as with any massive government spending program, the devil is in the details—and Republican lawmakers, led by Texas Senator Ted Cruz, are doing their best to ensure those details work against their own constituents.

There’s no denying that broadband isn’t a luxury anymore. The COVID-19 pandemic made this painfully obvious as students in rural schools struggled to attend virtual classes and workers in small towns scrambled to set up home offices with inadequate internet speeds. Yet, in 2024, we still have a digital divide that leaves 21 million Americans behind according to our estimates. Many of them live in GOP strongholds.

This new funding initiative, part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), was supposed to bridge that divide. Instead, a massive portion of this money is being funneled to the very same telecom giants that have, for years, neglected to invest in expanding access to rural and low-income areas.

These are the same companies that have built regional monopolies, stifled competition, and kept prices high while service quality stagnated. So it stands to reason that they should probably at least be required to offer affordable options for low-income families. And actually, that was part of the plan. The original IIJA included a minor provision requiring grant recipients to offer a low-cost broadband option. To be clear, we’re talking about a basic 25 Mbps service for around $20—a negligible expense for multi-billion-dollar corporations.

But apparently, even this modest concession is too much for Big Telecom to swallow. They’ve mobilized their standing army of lobbyists and friendly politicians to cry foul, claiming this requirement amounts to “rate regulation,” a boogeyman they’ve long used to fight any attempt at making broadband more affordable.

In siding with these corporations, GOP representatives are actively undermining efforts to provide affordable internet to their own voters in rural and southern states. It’s important to underscore what a wasted opportunity this could turn out to be for the rural communities that form the backbone of Republican support.

Let’s call this what it is: a fundamentally broken system. These companies want to pocket billions in public funds with no strings attached, leaving taxpayers holding the bag while they continue to charge exorbitant rates for a service that’s become as essential as electricity or running water.

While Republicans were quick to vote down the infrastructure bill (and the COVID relief plan contained in America Rescue Plan Act), these same lawmakers are now eager to take credit for the broadband improvements it will bring to their districts. In the latest showing of bad faith, they are holding a series of sham hearings, led by Senator Cruz as the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, to decry the ongoing attempt to re-fund the Affordable Connectivity Program.

It’s time for voters to see through this charade. The next time Senator Cruz or any other GOP lawmaker claims to champion rural interests or fight for the little guy, remember this moment. Remember how they chose corporate profits over your right to an affordable internet connection. And most importantly, remember it at the ballot box.

Because in the end, this isn’t just about broadband—it’s about who our elected officials really serve. And right now, it’s clear that for Senator Cruz and the GOP, it’s not the people of Texas or any other state struggling with the digital divide. It’s the telecom giants who fill their campaign coffers and whisper in their ears.

We must demand better. Our digital future—and the promise of equal opportunity it holds—depends on it.