Markey and Gomez Defend USF Ahead of SCOTUS Argument
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez defended the USF program during a Capitol Hill news conference Wednesday before the U.S. Supreme Court argument in FCC v. Consumers’ Research (see 2503260061).
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“We’re here today because the Supreme Court is about to hear a case that should never have been brought in the first place,” Markey said. The case “puts at risk one of the most vital tools that we have to connect kids, schools and libraries, and our communities to the future.” He called the challenge “absurd” and “dangerous.” The case is the product of “right-wing ideologues” who “want to take a wrecking ball to one of the pillars of digital equity in the United States."
“Connectivity for all is not a red or blue issue,” Gomez said. “Throughout its history, the USF has had bipartisan, bicameral support in Congress.”
“The high-cost program supports broadband deployment in areas where market forces alone fail to provide service,” while Lifeline “helps over 7 million low-income Americans afford phone and internet services,” Gomez added. The E-rate program also serves more than 54 million students and 132,000 schools and libraries, she added, and the rural health care program remains “critical for veterans, seniors and those living in areas where medical care may be difficult to reach.”