Many Americans have heard of the “Obamaphones” made infamous by the viral 2012 video of a Cleveland woman touting her “free” cellphone. The Lifeline program, which provided the taxpayer-subsidized phone, continues to be rife with waste and abuse that has lingered for nearly a decade.

Created in 1985, the Lifeline program provides subsidies for low-income households, so that they could communicate in an emergency. Subscription for the program is based on a household’s eligibility for other low-income or tribal assistance programs, and has been expanded to include wireless telephone service, as well as broadband Internet subsidies.