Rep. Grace Meng Helps Lead Congressional Letter Urging the FCC to Withdraw Proposal to Undermine the E-Rate Program
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng of New York's 6th District joined Sen. Edward J. Markey, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Reps. Doris Matsui and Rob Menendez on October 15 in leading nearly the entire Senate Democratic Caucus and more than 60 House Democrats in a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, urging the Commission to withdraw its proposal to eliminate or limit the E-Rate program.
For nearly 30 years, the E-Rate program has invested more than $69 billion to help schools and libraries across the country afford internet access. In 2025 alone, according to the lawmakers, E-Rate helped more than 158,000 schools and libraries pay recurring broadband bills, increase bandwidth, maintain secure internal Wi-Fi networks and replace aging infrastructure. In June, the FCC voted to open a rulemaking examining the program.
In the letter, the lawmakers wrote that schools and libraries help develop the next generation of engineers, scientists and cybersecurity professionals, including in communities that have historically lacked access to those opportunities, and that cutting E-Rate would narrow that talent pipeline. They added that E-Rate funds broadband connectivity — not laptops, tablets, applications or online content — and that recipients must already comply with the Children's Internet Protection Act, arguing the Commission should not use child safety as a pretext to dismantle the secure, managed broadband infrastructure schools and libraries need.
Meng chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and is the first and only Asian American member of Congress from New York State. The letter's signers also include Rep. Judy Chu and Sen. Andy Kim. The lawmakers' offices released the full text of the letter on October 15.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：联邦众议员孟昭文官方肖像。图片来源：美国众议院，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。Photo: Official portrait of U.S. Rep. Grace Meng. Source: U.S. House of Representatives, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
