Political Quotes

“at times I fear we are losing our perspective on the telecommunication issues. Yet again this week, we see that the e-rate is in the cross hairs. I want to be very clear that I am a strong supporter of the e-rate. I believe that this Congress made a commitment to assist schools and libraries across the country in their efforts to provide America's school children with access to the Information Highway. Thousands have taken us at our word and we must honor that commitment, a commitment that is grounded in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, where we extended a part of the universal service program, in place administratively for the past 60 years, that provides telephone services to high-cost rural areas to extend that service to be clear that the e-rate is a part of that fundamental responsibility. In 1997, the FCC issued its first notice of proposed rulemaking to make this expenditure a reality, capping at 2-and-a-quarter billion dollars per year, resources for eligible schools and libraries who would receive discounts ranging from 20 to 90 percent, depending on whether that school or library is disadvantaged or located in a high-cost area. Unfortunately, due to a variety of controversies, we found that this program has been dramatically reduced, and yet there are some who feel that it should be eliminated altogether.”