Only Congress can raise taxes and as a member of the Oversight Subcommittee which has jurisdiction over this issue, I am concerned and believe this should be thoroughly examined. The e-rate program, created by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, required telecommunications carriers to make Internet connections and other services available to schools and libraries at reduced rates. Several telecommunications providers have challenged the fees in Federal court on the grounds that it is an unlawful tax.
Families pay more in taxes than food, clothing and shelter combined.
We can fund school and library access to the Internet without imposing unfair, backdoor taxes on Americans. There are good alternates to the FCC fee' plan, such as the Schools and Libraries Internet Access Act of 1998. Let's fix this problem without additional taxes on American families. The hearing was held by the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, of which English is a member.