JOHN RATCLIFFE 
Fourth District of Texas 
The Honorable Ajit Pai 
Chairman 
<!Congress of tbe Wnfteb $tates 
J!)ouse of l\epresentatibes 
~a~bington, 1!\QC 20515 
October 30, 2017 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 12th Street, S.W. 
Washington, D.C. 20554 
Dear Chairman Pai: 
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY 
CHAIRMAN 
CYBERSECURrTY AND INFRASTRUCTURE 
PROTECTION 
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY 
Received & Inspected 
NOV 0 6 2017 
FCC Mail Room 
I write to request that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) take action to address the budget 
shortfall in certain parts of the High-Cost Universal Service Fund (USF). This lack of sufficient funding puts 
the rural communities that I represent at a significant disadvantage. 
The annual budget instructions through which the High-Cost USF is funded have not been fully utilized since 
their implemt:'.ntation in 2011. Despite the appearance of surplus funds in the overall budget in prior years, the 
smaller operators that benefit from High-Cost USF programs in my district have been subject to strict and 
separate budget caps that limit broadband infrastructure investments in nearly 40 percent of rural America. 
Pending comprehensive FCC review or adjustment of the High-Cost USF budget instructions, I urge you to 
maintain level collections from telecommunications companies into the future. To the extent that the collected 
sum exceeds High-Cost USF spending obligations at the time, the FCC should directly apply funds to help 
mitigate or neutralize the budget constraints applied to these smaller, rural operators. 
While it is currently unclear how funds that exceed High-Cost USF spending i;nay be obligated under existing 
budget instructions, their continued collection has the potential to help provide rural communities with 
comparable broadband services for comparable rates relative to urban areas. In doing so, the country will move 
closer to the fund's stated mission to provide all Americans with "accessible, affordable, and pervasive high­
speed connectivity." 
As always, I thank you for c.onsideril).g my request. I look forward to working with you, and the other 
commissioners, to ensure tha~ the "digital divide" does not exclude millions of rural Americans from the 
services that they, and our economy, depend on. 
Sincerely, 
~rlatJ!P 
John Ratcliffe 
Member of Congress 
325 Cannon House Office Building 
Washington, DC 20515 
(202) 225-6673 
6531 Horizon Road, Suite A 
Rockwall, TX 75032 
(972) 771-01 ()() 
100 West Houston Street, 1st Floor 
Sherman, TX 75090 
(903) 813-5270 
2600 North Robison Road, Suite 190 
Texar1<ana, TX 75599 
(903) 823-3173 
940