[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 175 (Tuesday, December 6, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H7200-H7201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING SENSE OF HOUSE THAT ACCESS TO DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS
AND CONNECTIVITY IS NECESSARY TO PREPARE YOUTH
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 939) expressing the sense of the House of
Representatives that access to digital communications tools and
connectivity is necessary to prepare youth in the United States to
compete in the 21st century economy.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 939
Whereas the United States should lead the world in
providing high-quality education and opportunities to its
citizens;
Whereas digital skills are essential for education and
preparing citizens for the economy of the future;
Whereas, on a daily basis, teachers across the country
assign homework that requires Internet access to be
completed;
Whereas there are 5,000,000 households with school-age
children in the United States that do not have high-speed
Internet access at home and fall into what is known as the
``homework gap'';
Whereas a disproportionate number of students without high-
speed Internet access at home reside in low-income and
minority households;
Whereas students and families in rural areas face
additional challenges when homework requires Internet access
that is out of reach;
Whereas every student deserves an opportunity at 21st
century success;
Whereas participation in the classroom can be improved when
all students are equipped with the tools to complete their
homework;
Whereas educators can increase the use of cutting-edge
education technology and digital learning resources when
those resources
[[Page H7201]]
remain accessible during out-of-school hours;
Whereas data show that students have received lower grades
and been unable to complete their assignments because of
their lack of Internet access at home;
Whereas improved student access to postsecondary education
and workforce opportunities can be made possible by
increasing the ability of students to apply for employment,
postsecondary education, and financial aid opportunities;
Whereas leaders in the public and private sectors have
recognized that the homework gap is an issue of national
importance and partnered to find cooperative solutions to
address it; and
Whereas instilling digital skills and the knowledge to
succeed in the 21st century economy in the Nation's students
is vital to the Nation's global competitiveness: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of
Representatives that access to digital communications tools
and connectivity is necessary to prepare youth in the United
States to compete in the 21st century economy.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Latta) and the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
General Leave
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous materials in the Record on the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, again, I am pleased to support another resolution from
our colleagues from across the aisle.
Broadband and the Internet have become nearly indispensable parts of
our 21st century economy. Whether it is bringing the world's
information to your fingertips or connecting you to people around the
world, it is increasingly clear that improved access to the Internet is
a vital part of our digital future, and particularly so for our
Nation's children.
This resolution affirms the commitment of the House of
Representatives to ensuring all Americans, particularly students, have
the tools they need to succeed. As members of the Subcommittee on
Communications and Technology, Democrats and Republicans alike firmly
espouse the goal of bringing broadband access to all children of the
United States.
I thank the gentleman from Vermont for shining a light on this
important issue, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H. Res.
939.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, here is the situation: our kids are going to school,
they are getting homework, and 70 percent of the teachers assign
homework that presumes access to the Internet, but many of our kids
don't have access to the Internet.
About 5 million, or one-third of households with school age children
in the U.S., lack a high-speed connection at home. That is the
``homework gap.'' It creates a lot of anxiety, as well as some
inability to get the homework done. And the anxiety for these kids is
that they go home, they have got an assignment, they want to do it, and
they don't have the tools. It puts enormous pressure on the parents.
We have seen some reports where, in order to address this outside of
the school, they will park buses that have high-speed Internet access,
and the parents will bring the kids back to school and sit outside
while the kids sit on the bus where they have the homework connection.
That is asking a lot of our parents, it is asking a lot of our kids,
and this resolution is just acknowledging what I think we all know is
the obvious. That is, if kids are going to have a shot at getting
ahead, if they are going to be able to do their homework, we have got
to get that Internet access out in the area so we don't have 5 million
kids without it.
{time} 1315
It is such a real problem when you get into the rural areas, and that
is where Mr. Latta and I know that, and the reason is because extending
the broadband out into the rural areas is economically more of a
challenge for some of our companies.
We believe that, ultimately, we have got to have Internet access,
much like we did with electricity, where we make a policy that says we
are getting that broadband to the last mile. This resolution
demonstrates an ongoing bipartisan commitment to achieve that goal. I
know, Mr. Speaker, you have a lot of rural areas in your district as
well.
I urge my colleagues to support this, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentleman from Vermont. I
know we have worked for well over a year now on rural issues on the
committee, and I appreciate his leadership on that. I also thank the
gentleman for working across the aisle with us to highlight this
important need.
American students must have every tool to prepare themselves for an
increasingly competitive future, and I hope that my colleagues will
join me in support of this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this
resolution, which would express the sense of the House of
Representatives that students everywhere should have access to digital
tools that will help to further their education in the 21st century
economy.
This resolution expresses the sense of the House that the United
States should be leading the world in proving the digital tools
necessary to succeed and create new opportunities.
Nearly 5 million households in the United States do not have high-
speed internet, meaning those households don't have access to an
increasingly important aspect of a modern education.
By increasing access to millions of children around the country, we
take a step forward in promoting a 21st century education.
This would also improve the global competitiveness of the United
States as countries around the world increasingly promote broadband
access in their educational systems.
I look forward to working with my colleagues to expand possibilities
for children and to create an environment in which we can incentivize
growth and new opportunities.
I thank the Energy and Commerce Committee and Congressman Welch for
their hard work and diligence on this issue.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) that the House suspend the rules and
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 939.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________