STOP THE 'FREE CELL PHONE' GIVEAWAY! IT IS A WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY!

"The president offers you free stuff, but his policies keep you poor. For those who are struggling, we want to you to have something infinitely more valuable than a free phone." - Sen. Rand Paul, Tea Party Response to the State of the Union

Conservative American, 

Dead people don't just vote in elections, they also get "free" smart phones and free monthly minutes courtesy of the federal government and taxpayers. 

It's shocking, but true. 

In fact, millions of individuals are receiving co-called "free" government phones and phone plans - though as many as41% of the recipients can't even prove that they are even eligible to receive them. 

A Missouri Senator was recently appalled to have received a solicitation for a free government cell phone at her apartment complex, which, she says, "is certainly not a building where you're going to have people who are qualified for free phones." 

The so-called "free" government phones are courtesy of Lifelink, a federal program that was created during the Reagan administration to provide emergency land-line service for the poor and help them find jobs. Today, despite its origins, this federal give-away plan has become so full of fraud and waste that even Obama's FCC admits it. 

"The FCC, itself, said in a recent year there were 270,000 beneficiaries that had more than one of these subsidized cell phones,” Senator David Vitter says, "That's completely against the law right there." 

Congress must put an end to this program, one "rife with waste and fraud," and pass H.R. 176! 

Take Action and Demand Congress to PASS the "Stop Taxpayer Funded Cell Phones Act of 2013" and oppose all legislation that would expand Lifeline. Americans should not be billed for this expensive, ever-growing welfare program. 

 Americans should not be forced by government to fund other people's cell phones and monthly plans. Don't forget to send free letters to your lawmakers here and tell them to STOP "Uncle Sam's Unlimited Plan" by passing H.R. 176! 
Arkansas Representative Tim Griffin has introduced the "Stop Taxpayer Funded Cell Phones Act" to end Lifeline, what he calls "Uncle Sam's Unlimited Plan." 

H.R. 176 - read the bill here - already has nearly fifty co-sponsors. 

The simple, two-page bill is common sense as it would stop cell-phone carriers from billing their customers to pay for other people's free cell-phones, something that has been ongoing since Lifeline was expanded to cover wireless service in 2008. 

"My bill returns the Lifeline program back to its original structure by ending federal subsidies for free cell phone services," Rep. Griffin says, "This growing government cell phone program is costing American consumers and taxpayers, and my bill puts an end to it." 

Rep. Griffin notes that the cost of this cell phone giveaway program has been ballooning annually. He says, between 2008 and 2009, the non-landline cost went from $143 million to $383 million, more than doubling; in 2010, doubling again, it totaled $719 million; in 2011 the program added up to $1.21 billion, and finally grew to $1.74 billion the year after. 

An April 23 Energy and Commerce Committee memo cites that the program's total cost is even higher: "The Universal Service Fund's Lifeline program nearly tripled in size from $800 million per year in 2009 to $2.2 billion per year in 2012." 

Take Action and Demand Congress to PASS the "Stop Taxpayer Funded Cell Phones Act of 2013" and oppose all legislation that would expand Lifeline. Americans should not be billed for this expensive, ever-growing welfare program. 

Ranking GOP members of the Energy and Commerce Committee noted in an earlier letter that the drastic increase inLifeline's cost suggests that the program is on an "unsustainable" trajectory. 

Rep. Vern Buchanan, a co-sponsor of H.R. 176, told Sunshine State News: 

"It defies common sense that we are giving away millions of free cell phones at the same time the Federal Aviation Administration imposes cutbacks that are delaying flights across the nation."

"The federal government is not an unlimited plan. The Stop Taxpayer Funded Cell Phones Act is a step in the right direction to show the American people that Congress is serious about rooting out the waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. It's time to disconnect this boondoggle."

Not a single American should be forced to pay for someone else's phone or phone plan. The Lifeline program is just one more example of a horribly abused redistributionist government program that is costing billions of dollars annually. Congressmen must pass H.R. 176 and stop this unsustainable, inefficient, and simply bad government sham! 

Take Action and Demand Congress to PASS the "Stop Taxpayer Funded Cell Phones Act of 2013" and oppose all legislation that would expand Lifeline. Americans should not be billed for this expensive, ever-growing welfare program. 

Since its 2008 expansion to wireless, the Lifeline program now provides smart phones for its recipients. Not only do recipients get a free phone with free minutes, they get free texting and even wireless internet. 

This program is also not without advertising and marketing, sending strong messages like "NO PAYMENT EVER" and "FREE CAMERA PHONE." Below are a few examples of Lifeline ads that are being run nationwide, courtesy of Rep. Griffin's office: 

(Click thumbnails to enlarge)

It's not just advertising, this phone-giveaway program also is represented on the world's largest social network: Facebook. Lifeline's Facebook page - which one can find by visiting their website - is a good source to check for the programs newest "free" offers and news stories that relate to them. 

One post warns, "Someone wants you to pay for your free phones," which links to an article that tells of a Georgia regulator who wants to start charging Lifeline users. Another post links to piece called, "FCC Agrees to give Free Government Cell Phones to Homeless," which the page describes as "a major victory." Additionally, the LifelineFacebook links to a White House petition calling for the government to expand the "free" cell phone program. 

What's worse than this is that some lawmakers are pushing for Lifeline to cover broadband internet. Rep. Doris Matsui's H.R. 1685 introduced legislation this week that would amend Lifeline to do it. Her bill has ten co-sponsors. 

Take Action and Demand Congress to PASS the "Stop Taxpayer Funded Cell Phones Act of 2013" and oppose all legislation that would expand Lifeline. Americans should not be billed for this expensive, ever-growing welfare program. 

Whether or not this program is funded by a fee versus a tax is irrelevant. The crux of the matter is that this program is funded by every American who pays a phone bill, albeit indirectly. 

Attached to every single phone bill is a charge for "Universal Service" which telecom companies collect and transfer theUniversal Service Fund, the government fund that pays for Lifeline and its sister Link-up (the program that pays for the installation cost of phone service). In other words, rather than directly paying the government, you pay a telecom company who uses your money to pay the government. 

Washington must stop forcing the American people to subsidize this wasteful, inefficient, and fraudulent system - especially as individuals and lawmakers are lobbying for the program's expansion. 

Relief provisions for the impoverished among us should be left to private organizations, charities, churches, and shelters - groups that are built to handle real needs and function voluntarily. 

The government needs to be stopped from forcing every phone-bill-paying American to subsidize their failing program in the name of helping the needy. Lawmakers must fight to curtail and eliminate Lifeline altogether, and they can start cutting by its "free" cell phone plans. 

Take Action and Demand Congress to PASS the "Stop Taxpayer Funded Cell Phones Act of 2013" and oppose all legislation that would expand Lifeline. Americans should not be billed for this expensive, ever-growing welfare program. 

For America,

Conservative Action Alerts
www.ConservativeActionAlerts.com 

P.S. Americans should not be forced by government to fund other people's cell phones and monthly plans. Don't forget to send free letters to your lawmakers here and tell them to STOP "Uncle Sam's Unlimited Plan" by passing H.R. 176! 

P.P.S. You can also print the petition to share with others. 

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