FCC Chief Brendan Carr Moves to Curb Fraud as Agency Program Subsidized Phone, Internet Service for 116,000 Dead People

January 27, 2026
2:45 pm

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FCC Chairman Brendan Carr just dropped a bombshell on government waste: the agency's Lifeline program, meant to subsidize phone and internet for low-income folks, has been funneling taxpayer dollars to over 116,000 dead people. That's right—zombies got broadband on our dime, with the FCC set to vote on reforms to purge this fraud. Carr's move isn't just housekeeping; it's a spotlight on how bloated bureaucracies turn noble intentions into black holes of corruption, where universal service means universal grift. Imagine the audits: companies like Assurance Wireless and SafeLink raking in millions by rubber-stamping deceased beneficiaries, all while real Americans foot the bill through the Universal Service Fund, which pulls from your phone bill every month. This scandal hits home for the 2A community because it's the same swampy playbook that anti-gunners use to justify their common sense registries and background check expansions. Think about it: if the feds can't even scrub 116,000 ghosts from a simple phone subsidy list—despite death records being public and mandatory reporting laws—what are the odds NICS (the National Instant Criminal Background Check System) is pristine? We've seen it before: prohibited persons slipping through cracks, honest gun owners delayed or denied because some clerk fat-fingered data. The ATF's own fumbles with pistol brace rules and rogue registries show the pattern—unelected bureaucrats wield unchecked power, waste billions, and erode trust. Carr's crackdown proves private-sector verification tech (like ID.me or blockchain audits) could fix this overnight, but Big Government prefers opacity to control. The implications for Second Amendment defenders are crystal clear: demand the same fraud-busting rigor for gun databases. Push for real-time death notifications integrated into NICS, sunset clauses on temporary registries, and zero-tolerance for subsidizing deadbeats—living or otherwise. If Lifeline can be cleaned up, why not the systems that decide who exercises their God-given right to self-defense? This is our cue to amplify Carr's momentum, turning government failure into 2A fuel. Stay vigilant, patriots—fraud today means tyranny tomorrow.

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FCC Chairman Brendan Carr just dropped a bombshell on government waste: the agency’s Lifeline program, meant to subsidize phone and internet for low-income folks, has been funneling taxpayer dollars to over 116,000 dead people. That’s right—zombies got broadband on our dime, with the FCC set to vote on reforms to purge this fraud. Carr’s move isn’t just housekeeping; it’s a spotlight on how bloated bureaucracies turn noble intentions into black holes of corruption, where universal service means universal grift. Imagine the audits: companies like Assurance Wireless and SafeLink raking in millions by rubber-stamping deceased beneficiaries, all while real Americans foot the bill through the Universal Service Fund, which pulls from your phone bill every month.

This scandal hits home for the 2A community because it’s the same swampy playbook that anti-gunners use to justify their common sense registries and background check expansions. Think about it: if the feds can’t even scrub 116,000 ghosts from a simple phone subsidy list—despite death records being public and mandatory reporting laws—what are the odds NICS (the National Instant Criminal Background Check System) is pristine? We’ve seen it before: prohibited persons slipping through cracks, honest gun owners delayed or denied because some clerk fat-fingered data. The ATF’s own fumbles with pistol brace rules and rogue registries show the pattern—unelected bureaucrats wield unchecked power, waste billions, and erode trust. Carr’s crackdown proves private-sector verification tech (like ID.me or blockchain audits) could fix this overnight, but Big Government prefers opacity to control.

The implications for Second Amendment defenders are crystal clear: demand the same fraud-busting rigor for gun databases. Push for real-time death notifications integrated into NICS, sunset clauses on temporary registries, and zero-tolerance for subsidizing deadbeats—living or otherwise. If Lifeline can be cleaned up, why not the systems that decide who exercises their God-given right to self-defense? This is our cue to amplify Carr’s momentum, turning government failure into 2A fuel. Stay vigilant, patriots—fraud today means tyranny tomorrow.

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