Federal Communications Commission	"FCC  XX-XXX"


STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER JESSICA ROSENWORCEL

Re:	Modernizing the E-Rate Program for Schools and Libraries, WC Docket No. 13-84.

In today’s decision we provide schools and libraries that have experienced difficulties with additional time to submit invoices for E-Rate support.  This is the right thing to do right now and it has my support.  
It has been a year like no other.  This pandemic has presented all of us with challenges and at the Federal Communications Commission we have had to adjust many of our policies in response.  But shame on this agency for not doing more with E-Rate during this crisis.  There are nearly 17 million students who do not have the internet access they need for school today.  When their schools are shuttered and they are told to go to class online these students have no way to get there.  They are locked out of the virtual classroom.  Instead of fixing this Homework Gap and helping every child get the connection they need for school, this agency has turned the other way.  We should be using E-Rate to meet this moment so that no child is left offline.  

2