New Democrat Coalition Leaders React to FCC Proposal to Expand E-Rate, Increase Access to 21st Century Internet Connectivity
New Democrat Coalition leaders working to modernize and improve E-Rate issued the following statement in reaction to the Federal Communication Commission’s vote to permanently increase the funding cap for the E-Rate program:
“This vote from the FCC brings us closer to an America where all of us – rich and poor, urban and rural alike – have access to the high-speed Internet connectivity we need in our public schools and our community libraries to learn, grow and thrive,” the statement read. “Improving and modernizing E-Rate for the 21st Century has been and should continue to be a bipartisan issue that pro-growth leaders can support. We look forward seeing to an E-Rate program that, five years from now, will help to secure our nation’s competitiveness. "
E-Rate is a federal program that helps provide affordable telecommunications services to schools and libraries with high concentrations of students in poverty. While the program has been enormously successful since its inception in 1996 at bringing basic telephone and internet access to classrooms, the program must be updated to reflect 21st century technologies and new trends in digital learning. The first part of this update occurred in a vote earlier this year to re-prioritize the funding to focus on high-speed broadband, and this proposed rule is a good second step in moving the program forward.
The above statement was endorsed by Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), Chairman of the New Democrat Coalition, Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), a Coalition Vice-Chair, and Coalition Member Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA).
According to a blog post from the FCC, the Commissioners have worked for the past several months to gather facts and data to develop a proposal that would ensure that schools and libraries have the internet connections necessary to “support the increasing demands of 21st Century digital learning, including the new Wi-Fi networks and all the tablets and laptops that will be connected to them.” The New Democrat Coalition has consistently supported these efforts. This past June, Coalition leaders Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) and Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) joined Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) and Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY) as well as 37 New Democrat colleagues on a bipartisan letter to the FCC in support of their first proposal to modernize E-Rate.
The New Democrat Coalition is dedicated to maintaining America’s standing as the world’s strongest, most successful nation. Founded in 1997, the New Dems believe firmly in the power of American ingenuity and innovation, and are focused on finding ways to foster and harness this creativity to grow our economy, create new American jobs, and ensure a safer and more secure future for our country.
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