U.S. Congressman Russ Fulcher (R-ID) introduced a resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the Biden administration’s FCC rule expanding the E-Rate program beyond its statutory limits and to prevent similar regulatory overreach in the future. Senators voted 53-47 along party lines to advance a CRA resolution that would reverse the FCC’s order. The CRA allows Congress to repeal agency rules for the previous administration with a simple majority vote in each chamber, ruling out a filibuster in the Senate. A successful CRA repeal prevents an agency from adopting the same rule in the future.
In July 2024, the FCC adopted rules allowing schools and libraries to use E-Rate money over a three-year period starting in funding year 2025 to loan portable WiFi hotspots and provide mobile wireless internet services for off-campus use by students, school staff, and library patrons. Eligible schools and libraries were to implement hotspot lending programs, enabling users to borrow devices for educational purposes outside traditional facilities, Inside Towers reported.
The primary goal of the FCC plan is addressing the “homework gap,” that is, the disparity faced by students lacking reliable internet access outside school or library premises. The initiative is intended to ensure that all students, regardless of their location, would have equitable access to online educational resources, especially as digital learning becomes increasingly integral to education.
By John Celentano, Inside Towers Business Editor
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