WASHINGTON, DC - Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) applauded yesterday’s proposal from Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Ajit Pai to reform the Schools and Libraries Universal Service program to reduce waste in the program and make broadband access a reality for children throughout America.
Upton and Walden commented, “It is well past time to cap the Universal Service Fund and put a stop to the endless expansion of the program at the expense of ratepayers. Commissioner Pai’s reforms put the emphasis back where it belongs, on our kids. We applaud this commonsense and fiscally responsible plan to do more for our country’s students with money already collected from Americans every month. The Energy and Commerce Committee has been committed to making government more nimble and less bureaucratic in our information economy. Commissioner Pai’s reforms would help reduce the bureaucratic red tape that has hampered the E-Rate program as well as leverage the expertise and personnel of state and local governments and school boards that tackle the day-to-day challenges of educating our children."
