Sen. Markey, Leader Schumer, Reps. Matsui, Menendez, Meng Lead Colleagues in Demanding Trump FCC Withdraw Proposal to Undermine E-Rate Program

Lawmakers argue that dismantling E-Rate will widen the digital divide and raise costs for the communities that can least afford it

Letter Text (PDF)

Washington (October 15, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and author of the E-Rate program, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Representatives Doris Matsui (CA-07), Rob Menendez (NJ-08), and Grace Meng (NY-06), today led nearly the entire Senate Democratic Caucus and more than 60 members of the House Democratic Caucus in urging Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr to withdraw the Commission's damaging proposal to eliminate or limit the E-Rate program. In June, the Carr FCC voted to open a rulemaking examining E-Rate, which helps schools and libraries across the country afford reliable internet access.

For nearly 30 years, E-Rate has helped close the digital divide by ensuring that students and library patrons can access the internet regardless of their income or ZIP code. In 2025, 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. Ending or sharply curtailing E-Rate would impose severe costs on schools and libraries while weakening economic growth, undermining American technological leadership, and jeopardizing national security.

The E-Rate program has invested more than $69 billion to connect schools and libraries to the internet across the country. Massachusetts schools and libraries have received more than $950 million from the E-Rate program and another $97 million from the Emergency Connectivity Fund, a $7 billion program that Senator Markey created within the American Rescue Plan to provide devices and connectivity for students and educators at home.

In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, "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. Cutting E-Rate would narrow that talent pipeline. Maintaining connectivity in every school and library is therefore an investment in America's technological leadership, economic competitiveness, and national security.

The lawmakers continued, "We strongly support measures to protect children online and address concerns around excessive screen time. But cutting E-Rate is not a child-safety measure. E-Rate funds broadband connectivity - not laptops, tablets, applications, or online content - and recipients must already comply with the Children's Internet Protection Act, including by using filtering and blocking tools, adopting internet-safety policies, and educating students about appropriate online behavior. States and local communities, meanwhile, are developing targeted policies governing when and how students use devices in schools - an appropriate way to address screen-time concerns, rather than cutting broadband support. The Commission should not use child safety as a pretext to dismantle the secure, managed broadband infrastructure that schools and libraries need to educate students and help them navigate the digital world safely."

The letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

The letter was signed by Representatives Gabe Amo (RI-01), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Troy Carter (LA-02), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Jim Costa (CA-21), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Don Davis (NC-01), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Bill Foster (IL-11), John Garamendi (CA-08), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Jim Himes (CT-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Summer Lee (PA-12), John Mannion (NY-22), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Johnny Olszewski, Jr. (MD-02), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Scott Peters (CA-50), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), Darren Soto (FL-09), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Derek Tran (CA-45), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL).

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