*Pages 1--1 from Microsoft Word - 42417* Federal Communications Commission FCC 04- 190 STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER KEVIN J. MARTIN APPROVING IN PART AND DISSENTING IN PART In the matter of Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism, CC Docket No. 02- 6 I commend Chairman Powell’s efforts to prevent waste, fraud and abuse in the universal service schools and libraries program. The universal service schools and libraries program has been instrumental in facilitating access to advanced services for our nation’s students. Strong fiscal and administrative oversight of the schools and libraries program is essential to ensure that schools and libraries will be able to use the funding available under the existing $2.25 billion annual cap. I support the Chairman’s efforts to protect the program and the critical educational opportunities it continues to provide for our nation’s schoolchildren. Today’s decision adopts additional measures to protect against waste, fraud and abuse in the administration of the schools and libraries universal service support program. Today’s action sets forth a policy on the recovery of improperly disbursed funds, strengthens existing safeguards to enhance the Commission’s oversight and enforcement activities, and provides greater guidance for a more vigorous audit program to protect the financial integrity of the schools and libraries program. While I am pleased that the Commission is moving forward today on specific measures to strengthen its ongoing oversight of the schools and libraries program, I do not join in the decision to abdicate some of the Commission’s critical policymaking and fiscal oversight responsibilities to the Bureau. Accordingly, I approve in part and dissent in part from the order. 1