Olympia Snowe: “I think that is essential, without putting the population at risk.”

I do want to acknowledge the bipartisan effort and support for the E-Rate Program by Chairman Rockefeller and Maine's original E-Rate champion, Olympia Snowe.

In closing, libraries are vital community technology hubs, and we simply cannot allow inadequate bandwidth to be the limiting factor for what our students and our nations can achieve.

What is needed is honest, fact-based discussion and a genuine bipartisan commitment to solutions.

We would not have connectivity and all that it brings to our schools and libraries if it were not for E-Rate.