A coalition of 100 civil rights, education, religious and labor groups yesterday launched a "Digital Empowerment Campaign" in a nationwide effort to persuade Congress to save two federal programs aimed at bringing technology to low-income Americans. Sen. Max Cleland, D-Ga., who is working with Mikulski and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, to restore the programs, cited a survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. It showed 14 million Americans in January used the Internet to upgrade job skills, 11 million used it to gather medical data, 9 million used it for major financial or investment decisions and 8 million used it in seeking a new job.

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