[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 129 (Thursday, July 22, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              SUCCESS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GRACE MENG

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 22, 2021

  Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, during the COVID-19 crisis, we have seen how 
crucial internet access has been for learning and completing 
assignments. The homework gap, experienced by as many as 17 million 
students in the U.S. who do not have internet access at home, is an 
inequity that predates the coronavirus pandemic.
  When I first began talking about this issue, I was shocked and 
saddened to recognize there were so many misconceptions about who was 
part of the homework gap. So many of my colleagues believed the 
homework gap is something that predominantly affects students in rural 
America. But in fact, one in five school-age children in NYC's public 
school system--the largest public school system in the country--do not 
have internet access at home.
  The nature of homework assignments has fundamentally changed. Before, 
all you needed was a pencil and paper. But that is no longer the norm. 
Internet access is essential to completing homework assignments. It 
broke my heart to hear stories of families parked outside McDonalds or 
Starbucks trying to catch a free Wi-Fi signal.
  Closing the homework gap extends beyond just helping our students 
finish their homework. Internet connectivity is essential to success in 
the 21st century; much like electricity was important in the 1930s, 
internet will be the same, if not more.
  That is why Congress passed the Emergency Educational Connections Act 
as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a bill that I proudly 
championed with Senator Markey. This provision created the Emergency 
Connectivity Fund, and provided a one-time $7.17 billion appropriation 
to connect students and library patrons learning at home.
  As our Nation works to move past the pandemic, we must finally close 
the full homework gap that predates the ongoing emergency. That is why 
I am proud to introduce today the Securing Universal Communications 
Connectivity to Ensure Students Succeed or the SUCCESS Act. This bill 
would provide $8 billion a year over five years (for a total of $40 
billion) to extend the FCC's Emergency Connectivity Fund, without an 
emergency time frame, so that schools and libraries can continue 
supporting distance learning after the coronavirus pandemic is over. 
This extended program will then ensure that students connected by the 
emergency connectivity fund do not lose their internet access and 
devices once the original funds run dry.
  Madam Speaker, as the mother of two young children, I know firsthand 
how crucial this issue is. Each and every student must have the tools 
they need to succeed in school, and the SUCCESS Act is an essential 
component to permanently closing the homework gap. I urge all of my 
colleagues in both chambers to help close this digital divide for good.

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