[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 77 (Wednesday, May 26, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H3682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         FULLY FUND THE E-RATE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise this evening to talk about E-Rate. 
I strongly urge my colleagues to fully fund the Universal Service Fund 
program for schools and libraries, commonly called the E-Rate. The E-
Rate has successfully helped provide equal access to opportunity and 
education for school children and the public at large.
  In just 18 months, the E-Rate has connected over 600,000 classrooms 
in over 80,000 schools and libraries across this great Nation. At a 
recent round-table discussion that I held in my district with 
educators, I asked principals and superintendents in my 7th 
congressional district, what is the one thing I can do right now in 
Congress to help education, and unanimously they said, continue the E-
Rate program. Do not let the E-Rate program die, do not let it 
diminish. It is effective, it is working. It is connecting our schools 
to the future.
  Most importantly, the E-Rate program enables all schools and 
libraries to provide Internet access to children, regardless of their 
means. For most schools and libraries, the cost of both telephone and 
Internet access is cut in half, and for some of our most poorest 
schools, access will be almost free, almost free.
  The E-Rate is helping to close the digital divide. Children in the 
most isolated inner city or rural town will have access to the same 
expansive knowledge and technology as a child in the most affluent 
suburbs.
  This House supported this program in 1996 and should continue to 
support this program today, especially because of the scope and 
influence of the Internet on our children's lives.
  Recently, surveys have shown that the American public strongly 
supports the introduction of information technology into our Nation's 
schools and libraries. A nonpartisan poll was commissioned by EdLiNC 
and conducted by Lake, Snell, Perry and Associates and the Tarrance 
Group. The results of this poll are impressive and send a clear signal 
that the American people support the concept of the E-Rate.
  Madam Speaker, 87 percent of Americans support providing discounts to 
schools and libraries. Eighty-three percent of Americans think that 
access to the Internet in schools and libraries will improve 
educational opportunities for all Americans. Eighty-seven percent of 
Americans support continuing discounts for libraries and schools. 
Seventy-nine percent of Americans believe that PCs are an effective 
alternative for teaching subjects such as math and reading.
  Tomorrow the FCC will vote on the funding level for the Universal 
Service Fund for America's schools and libraries for the year beginning 
July 1, 1999. I urge every member of this House to lend their support 
to fully funding the E-Rate program.


                 John Hart: One of America's Treasures

  Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, I just want to shift gears for a moment. 
We all know there is a very, very important weekend coming up and that 
is Memorial Day weekend where we celebrate and commemorate all of those 
who fought for the saving of this country in all our world wars. In 
particular, I just want to mention a good friend of mine, a neighbor, a 
mentor of mine as I was growing up, Mr. John Hart, actually my next 
door neighbor. I am proud to say that this weekend John Hart will be 
the grand marshal of the Woodside, Queens Memorial Day Parade.
  John Hart is one of America's treasures. He served our country in 
World War II and saw action in Europe. He came back from that war and 
he and his wife, Pat, raised four children in the community of 
Woodside. John, like so many other Americans who gave of themselves 
that we might be free, is still alive today and is having an 
opportunity to walk amongst his fellow citizens in Woodside so that 
they can show their appreciation to John and men and women like him.
  So when my colleagues are eating hot dogs and hamburgers and having 
corn on the cob this weekend, think of John Hart and think of all of 
those men and women who gave so much of themselves so that we today are 
free.

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