[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 15, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H5583-H5584]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




E-RATE PROGRAM PROVIDES HOPE AND PROMISE TO STUDENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY

  (Mrs. CAPPS kasked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks and include extraneous 
material.)
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the E-rate 
program, which provides hope and promise to students, parents, and 
schools all over this country.
  I have here letters in support of the School and Libraries 
Telecommunications Discount, and they are from school districts across 
the 22nd Congressional District of California. These letters clearly 
state the deep need that exists for these discounts and the losses 
which will be incurred if the program is repealed.
  Dr. Gale Tissier, the Santa Maria Bonita School District 
superintendent writes, ``Without the E-rate, our community will not be 
able to provide technology and Internet access for our students and 
families.''
  In the small district of Shandon, Superintendent Summers states, 
``Without this program we will continue to struggle with what little 
obsolete facilities and equipment we currently have.''
  Funding of the E-rate was part of a deal reached by Congress, the 
telephone companies, schools and libraries as part of the 
Telecommunications Act of 1996. I call on the phone companies to live 
up to this agreement and fund the program without burdening their 
customers. I call on Congress to support the E-rate and prepare today's 
students for the challenges and the opportunities of tomorrow.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record letters that I referred to in 
my remarks.

                           Santa Maria-Bonita School District,

                                   Santa Maria, CA, June 17, 1998.
     Hon. Lois Capps,
     House of Representatives, Longworth House Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Congresswoman Capps: I am writing to ask your support 
     for full funding of the Schools and Libraries Discount 
     Program that has been put in place as a result of the passage 
     of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. That program has come 
     under attack in recent weeks. I am concerned that the 
     tremendous opportunity it provides to help all students in 
     America gain equal access to the benefits of modern 
     technology and the Internet might be lost in the debate.
       While the FCC has ordered funds for the support of this 
     program to be collected, the

[[Page H5584]]

     amount to be collected is less than the amount that the 
     program originally set as being needed. It will also not 
     cover all of the requests for the current funding cycle. This 
     means that many projects will not be funded. The FCC has 
     acted courageously in setting even this funding amount in 
     light of the extreme pressure exerted on it from the large 
     TELCOs and other detractors of the program. The TELCOs 
     claimed need to add 5% to long distance rates to cover the 
     costs of Universal Service has been blamed on the Schools and 
     Libraries Discount program. In fact, only a little over one 
     third of that amount (1.5%) would raise more than enough to 
     fully fund the program. With the elimination of local access 
     charges starting in July, the TELCOs will save much more than 
     that amount.
       This is a landmark program that will help assure a brighter 
     future for many students who otherwise will not be able to 
     benefit from the rich technology that can transform education 
     in our country. Our community will not be able to provide 
     technology and Internet access for our students and families, 
     of which less than 20% now have access to computers and the 
     Internet at home, without this program. The school may be the 
     only place that the next generation of workers and consumers 
     can get the training and experience they need to compete in 
     the 21st century job market.
       We ask for your support for the future of our children and 
     the full funding of the Schools and Libraries Discount 
     Program. We need a strong voice in this debate in favor of 
     the program.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Gail M. Tissier,
     Superintendent.
                                  ____



                                       Shadon Unified Schools,

                                       Shandon, CA, June 18, 1998.
     Hon. Lois Capps,
     U.S. Congress,
     San Luis Obispo, CA.
       Dear Congresswoman Capps: I want to express my thanks to 
     you for your fine work on behalf of the schools and school 
     children of San Luis Obispo County. We in Shandon have been 
     encouraged by the time you have taken to listen our requests 
     for relief from some of the special problems of the smaller 
     districts in low income areas.
       I am alarmed, though, after the wonderful promise offered 
     by the FCC ``e-rate'' process, that there are those in the 
     Congress that are working to dilute its value to us or to 
     eliminate the program entirely. If there are those who harbor 
     doubts about the worth of this program, I would love to have 
     them visit my schools.
       For Shandon children, this program will absolutely offer a 
     chance for technological literacy on a par with school 
     children in the most advantaged schools. Large numbers of our 
     families are at or near the poverty level, and our district 
     has no economies of scale. This program will allow us to 
     acquire nearly $200,000 worth of services, wiring, and 
     equipment at less than one-fourth the cost. Without this 
     program, we will continue to struggle with what little 
     obsolete facilities and equipment we currently have.
       Every one of my employees works very hard to get the most 
     out of what we have. Our students are motivated and eager to 
     learn.
       Please, carry this message to your colleagues: Help me to 
     help these people!
           Sincerely,
                                               Richard L. Summers,
     Superintendent.

                          ____________________