Senate Dems Eye Broadband Resiliency Language, Distance Learning Grants in Next COVID-19 Bill
Senate leaders looked ahead Wednesday to plans for a third funding package aimed at economic losses and a possible recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The chamber approved the House-passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act (HR-6201) on a 90-8 vote, sending it to President Donald Trump for signature. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., continued his push for any additional funding legislation to also address pandemic-related infrastructure issues, including broadband capacity and distance learning resources (see 2003170014).
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“We're going to pass [HR-6201], but its imperfections will just make our more comprehensive package more urgent,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., before the final vote. “So we aren't leaving -- everybody understand that -- we aren't leaving, until we deliver.” Schumer said the economy “will get better” if the U.S. “can curb this virus,” but “if you ignore the public health crisis with the equipment and infrastructure and personnel that is needed in many more numbers than we've ever seen, the economy won't get better.”
Senate Democrats’ $750 billion proposal for the additional funding bill pushes for aid for distance learning resources because “students and teachers of K-12 institutions and colleges are telling us they do not have enough resources to teach and learn remotely over the Internet,” said a follow-up memo from Schumer we obtained. It calls for “distance education capacity grants for under-resourced [historically black colleges and universities], Tribal colleges, and [minority-serving institutions] that need to quickly switch to online education formats but struggle with the digital divide.”
“There is a great need for resilient infrastructure that is localized and resilient for this crisis and the next one,” Schumer’s memo said. That would include “broadband build-out to assist those Americans working and conducting their personal business from home, individuals seeking telemedicine, and students learning remotely.” Coronavirus-related broadband funding “could be coupled with an emergency injection into the Universal Service Fund and cap increases provided to the E-Rate, Lifeline and the Rural Health Care programs.”
The proposal memo mentions a need for legislation to “require the FCC to waive existing E-Rate rules to allow schools to issue Wi-Fi hotspots or devices to students who lack internet access at home.” The FCC Wireless Bureau allowed Rural Health Care and E-rate program participants to seek through Sept. 30 "improved connections or additional equipment for telemedicine or remote learning during the coronavirus outbreak." That lets healthcare providers, schools and libraries get improved capacity, Wi-Fi hot spots, networking gear, and other equipment and services (see 2003180054).
Senate Democrats “propose a new program modeled after the Department of Education’s [Enhancing Education Through Technology (E2T2)] ed-tech program” to “address those students, including university-level, without devices.” The E2T2 program provided funding to promote the use of technology for student learning before Congress defunded it in 2011.
The memo also seeks “special considerations within FCC and Department of Agriculture programs to help better bridge the gap in available, reliable Internet connectivity in Indian Country. With schools potentially implementing tele-education and the increased need for telemedicine as physicians are required to focus on COVID-19 response, immediate and flexible funding is needed by tribes to ensure none of their citizens are left behind.” Tribal colleges and universities “should also be eligible for USDA funds as other land grant universities are provided resources,” the memo said.