Lawmakers are racing against the clock to renew an internet discount program that more than 23 million Americans have come to rely on, Maria reports.

Why it matters: Efforts to keep the Affordable Connectivity Program alive are faltering, and low-income households are poised to lose the $30 monthly discount at the end of this month.

State of play: Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell this week pulled her bill, the Spectrum and National Security Act, from a scheduled markup.

• Cantwell's legislation would use spectrum auction money to fund the ACP.
• A separate bipartisan, bicameral bill from Sens. Peter Welch and J.D. Vance, the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, would also fund the program.

By the numbers: A new study from the Chamber of Progress found ACP beneficiaries are at risk of losing $10 billion in work opportunities, $1.4 billion in telehealth savings and $627 million in student benefits.

Pressure is ramping up on lawmakers to act. Tuesday was the last day households could receive the full $30 or $75.

• White House officials, lawmakers, FCC commissioners and advocacy groups held a rally that day to highlight the impact of the program on Americans across the country.
• The White House is blaming Republicans for inaction, and Democrats — in a nod to constituents in red states — have been stressing that veterans and people in rural communities could face high speed internet loss.

For a long-term fix, Sen. John Fetterman introduced a bill this week to fund the ACP by incorporating it into the Universal Service Fund and making big tech companies like Google and Meta pay into that fund — an approach lauded by the telecom industry.

Yes, but: ACP backers say a short-term solution is needed while USF reform is hashed out.

The other side: Senate Commerce Ranking Member Ted Cruz said at a hearing today that the ACP has been inefficient and shouldn't be funded through spectrum proceeds, as Cantwell has proposed.

• Cruz believes USF should go through the congressional appropriations process for funds instead of its current contribution mechanism.

What's next: Lawmakers this week are debating an FAA reauthorization package that could provide a vehicle for getting ACP renewal through Congress, but Republican opposition may block that path.

• Cantwell told Axios today that she doesn't plan to file an amendment for her spectrum bill and is aiming to mark it up before the end of the month.
• House Republicans are pushing Speaker Mike Johnson to replenish the program.
• But Cantwell said the Republican and Democratic leaders of both chambers don't want unrelated legislation riding on the FAA bill.

House Speaker Mike Johnson this week laid out his vision for AI regulation, Maria reports.

Why it matters: In the House, particularly among leadership, efforts to regulate AI haven't been as robust as in the Senate.

Driving the news: Speaking at the Hill and Valley Forum yesterday, Johnson said he's against overly regulating AI companies, which he said would stifle innovation and competition.

• "I wish the current administration realized this. I don't think that they do. I think they need to see that it goes against our interests for the FTC to send delegations to the EU and help enforce EU regulations against American companies."
• As some countries seek to mimic the EU approach, Johnson called for international cooperation to keep American companies competitive against China.

Inside the room: The invite-only forum brought together Silicon Valley companies and D.C. players on Capitol Hill.

• Company executives in attendance included Palantir Technologies CEO Alex Karp, Sequoia partner Roelof Botha and Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang.
• In addition to lawmakers, other government officials in attendance included CIA chief technology officer Nand Mulchandani and DHS policy undersecretary Robert Silvers.

This week the Washington Post reported that Jacob Helberg, a tech adviser behind the forum, is working to dismantle the Biden administration's AI executive order and create one for a potential Trump administration.

👀 Markup watch: The Senate Commerce Committee pulled all of the legislation slated for yesterday's markup, citing prep for FAA reauthorization floor action.

• Cantwell: "We'll look to take up the rest of the agenda at a future time."

• The original notice featured several tech and telecom-focused bills, including Sen. Brian Schatz's kids online safety bill.

🗣 White House moves: OSTP announced a new set of cross-sector actions on STEMM (STEM plus medicine) equity.

✍️ STEM letter: House Science Chair Frank Lucas sent a letter yesterday to OSTP director Arati Prabhakar over the delayed release of the five-year federal STEM education strategic plan.

🔬 USPTO strategy: The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week launched a National Strategy for Inclusive Innovation to increase participation in STEM.

💼 Lobbying push: BSA told Axios it met with lawmakers this week to push for legislation that requires high-risk AI impact assessments and to move forward on privacy legislation.

🤝 Open web: The FCC and FTC formalized a partnership to coordinate net neutrality efforts.

🌐 Internet moves: NTIA released an annual report highlighting federal investments in high-speed internet programs.

💰 Rip & Replace: Rosenworcel warned lawmakers about a $3 billion-plus funding shortfall in a program to get rid of Huawei and ZTE equipment from U.S. networks.