[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 26 (Thursday, March 12, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H1116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               THE E-RATE

  (Mr. BLUMENAUER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, Congress has agreed that it is 
imperative to allow our schools access to the Internet. That is why an 
E-Rate was established under the Telecommunications Act of 1996. This 
provided a discount between 20 to 90 percent, depending on the need of 
individual school districts and libraries, to purchase information 
services.
  In my district, Portland schools alone would save $3 to $4 million a 
year in equipment and hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for 
operations. Across the country, schools and libraries can expect to 
save over $2 billion a year. Clearly, the E-Rate will make a difference 
in society's efforts to prepare our children for the future. 
Unfortunately, it is not clear that the FCC shares our commitment, 
having provided only one-third of what will be required by the FCC's 
own estimates.
  The FCC will fortunately reconsider its position in 6 months. It is 
time for Members of Congress to show their support for this critical 
program. I urge my colleagues to join me in a letter to the FCC in 
support of the E-Rate.

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