[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 72 (Friday, June 5, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H4234-H4235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   E-RATE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ford) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, the FCC is on the verge of halting the 
collection of money for a new program to help wire schools and 
libraries to the internet thru the e-rate provisions of the universal 
service fund.
  Let me begin with a few facts:
  1. The Universal Service Fund is older than Social Security. Yes Mr. 
Speaker it is older than our most venerated entitlement program.
  2. The 1996 Telecommunications Act extended the generations old 
Universal Service program to include schools and libraries. This is a 
matter of law.
  3. Long distance phone rates are at their lowest point ever.
  4. Access charge reductions to phone companies--part of the ``deal'' 
that resulted in the 1996 Telecom Act--have totalled 2.4 billion over 
the last 11 months--well above the $2 billion estimated demand for 
discounts in the Schools and Libraries Corporation.
  5. The Schools & Libraries Corporations has 14 employees, smaller 
than the vast majority of Congressional staffs.
  Now: through all the myths, propaganda, and nonsense that is being 
spread about the E-rate and Schools and Libraries Corporation--myths 
these facts are meant to dispel, one central fact is being neglected: 
Connecting schools and libraries to the Internet will benefit our 
children. It will benefit the children of my district and children 
across this nation.
  That is why were are here: period.

[[Page H4235]]

  I began with that simple proposition. Mr. Speaker, because we are 
getting bogged down in a debate that is becoming increasingly virulent, 
malicious, and frankly, political.
  We are not debating the educational interests of our children, we are 
cowtowing to the selfish objectives of vocal interest groups.
  But Mr. Speaker if politics is to stop at the schoolhouse door, then 
we ought to consider the needs of our students, the future taxpayers of 
America.
  Mr. Speaker: Only 27% of classrooms currently have an internet 
connnection--in lower income areas, only 13%.
  With this level of connectivity how can we expect our nation to meet 
our current and future labor force needs:
  The Commerce Department reports that 200,000 to 400,000 jobs 
requiring computer software skills are currently going unfilled because 
of a worker shortage.
  The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently predicted a 70% growth in 
computer and technology-related jobs by 2005.
  From 1996 to 2005, more than 1.3 million new computer scientists, 
engineers, and systems analysts will be needed in the U.S. to fill 
vacant jobs. On average, this amounts to a need of more than 136,000 
workers every year.
  Just recently the Education & Workforce committee heard compelling 
testimony about this very subject. There is tremendous concern in 
communities across America that our schools may not have the tools 
needed to prepare students to work in an information intensive economy.
  Still, the economy grows by leaps and bounds in large part because of 
the role of information technology on productivity.
  In Tennessee, information technology has had a dramatic impact in the 
workplace: from transportation to medical services, information 
technology has created exciting new jobs opportunities for citizens 
across the state.
  Over 400,000 Tennesseans are employed in high-tech industries.
  The average wage for a high-tech worker in my state is estimated to 
be over $36,000 per year.
  High tech exports from the state total over 2.1 billion dollars per 
year.
  The growing importance of information technology to Tennessee and to 
the nation means that our students need the tools to compete and win in 
the 21st century.
  In school districts around the state educators are working hard to 
provide students with the educational resources that they need.
  The passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act and the establishing 
of the Schools and Libraries Corporation provided a means from the 
Memphis city schools district to accelerate the implementation of the 
district wide Networking Solution.
  When Networking Solutions was presented to the Memphis Board of 
Education the presentation culminated several years of research and 
planning to develop a network solution that would allow the District 
Technology Plan, Realizing Vision 2000 Through Technology to become a 
reality.
  The plan would create a fast, reliable, and manageable environment 
that provides for an integrated solution for voice, data, and video. 
The scope of the Networking Solution project includes several major 
components: school workstation cabling and writing, school 
infrastructure, the district wide fiber networking service fees, the 
Administration Building server, and the Teaching and Learning Academy 
server.
  Developed in concert with IBM, the district has implemented a network 
pilot project that gives the Memphis students and teachers a wide range 
of opportunities, such as: providing students with access virtual 
instructional libraries; the ability to transit and receive live, 2-way 
TV quality video, audio for Distance Learning, Video Conferencing, 
Video Broadcast, E-mail and Intranet Capability.
  Memphis City Schools staff have worked closely with the Council of 
Great City Schools, the State Department of Education, and IBM to 
complete applications for the e-rate discounts in order to implement 
the Networking Solution district wide.
  The first application was filed by the state on behalf of Memphis 
City Schools and other Tennessee districts as part of a statewide 
consortium.
  Now under the e-rate plan, the average discount percentage for 
Memphis is 80%. 80% Mr. Speaker!! That figure alone indicates the 
degree of need that prevails in my district. That need is not only 
characterized by a technology deficit, but by a basic infrastructure 
deficit that borders on the criminal.
  Just before the Memorial Day recess, two dozen public schools in my 
district were forced onto a half day schedule. Why? Because 24 schools 
in my district Mr. Speaker are without air conditioning!
  Mr. Speaker we in Congress would never dream of conducting our 
business in anything other than first class comfort. We wouldn't dream 
of giving our staffs less than the most cutting edge technology to 
conduct ``the people's business''.
  Yet we ask American children to learn in thrive in sweltering, 
crumbling school buildings. We pay no end of lip service to our 
commitment to the education of our children but we can't find one dome 
in a trillion dollar federal budget for school construction and 
infrastructure improvements!!
  And now, to add insult to injury, we are having a serious 
conversation in the United States Congress--in the people's house--
about depriving our children of yet another educational opportunity.
  How long Mr. Speaker, before we act like adults in this body and 
behave in responsible fashion toward our children.
  Mr. Speaker, I am the youngest member of Congress and perhaps a bit 
impatient. But I sincerely hope I don't have to spend my time in this 
body convincing my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to act like 
adults.
  If we allow the positive benefits of the e-rate, schools and 
libraries corporation to be nullified because of malicious, malevolent, 
mean-spirited, selfish politics, then shame on the phone companies, 
shame on this house, and pity the American people.
  Our performance on the Transportation bill before the recess bears 
witness to our enthusiasm for public works and believe me Mr. Speaker I 
have nothing against good roads.
  However, while we are happy to pave over every available acre in 
order to improve our transportation system we remain unwilling to 
invest in our public schools--from the internet to air conditioners.
  This Congress cares more about pavement than it does about people. 
The fact that we are forced to come to the floor on a Friday afternoon, 
when we should be at home at public school graduations, is clear 
evidence of that.
  Mr. Speaker, it is high time we get our priorities in line or we will 
continue to see declining test scores and inadequate academic 
achievement.
  Providing our students access to the tools of the 21st century should 
not be the subject of controversy--it should be the subject of 
enthusiastic engagement. So I encourage all my colleagues--ask 
yourselves this simple question: What is best for the children of your 
district. Will the e-rate get us there--in your hearts you known that 
this is true, now let's have the courage to act on that belief.

                          ____________________