Success Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, during the COVID-19 crisis, we have seen how crucial internet access has been for learning and completing assignments. The homework gap, experienced by as many as 17 million students in the U.S. who do not have internet access at home, is an inequity that predates the coronavirus pandemic.

When I first began talking about this issue, I was shocked and saddened to recognize there were so many misconceptions about who was part of the homework gap. So many of my colleagues believed the homework gap is something that predominantly affects students in rural America. But in fact, one in five school-age children in NYC's public school system--the largest public school system in the country--do not have internet access at home.

The nature of homework assignments has fundamentally changed. Before, all you needed was a pencil and paper. But that is no longer the norm. Internet access is essential to completing homework assignments. It broke my heart to hear stories of families parked outside McDonalds or Starbucks trying to catch a free Wi-Fi signal.

Closing the homework gap extends beyond just helping our students finish their homework. Internet connectivity is essential to success in the 21st century; much like electricity was important in the 1930s, internet will be the same, if not more.

That is why Congress passed the Emergency Educational Connections Act as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a bill that I proudly championed with Senator Markey. This provision created the Emergency Connectivity Fund, and provided a one-time $7.17 billion appropriation to connect students and library patrons learning at home.

As our Nation works to move past the pandemic, we must finally close the full homework gap that predates the ongoing emergency. That is why I am proud to introduce today the Securing Universal Communications Connectivity to Ensure Students Succeed or the SUCCESS Act. This bill would provide $8 billion a year over five years (for a total of $40 billion) to extend the FCC's Emergency Connectivity Fund, without an emergency time frame, so that schools and libraries can continue supporting distance learning after the coronavirus pandemic is over. This extended program will then ensure that students connected by the emergency connectivity fund do not lose their internet access and devices once the original funds run dry.

Madam Speaker, as the mother of two young children, I know firsthand how crucial this issue is. Each and every student must have the tools they need to succeed in school, and the SUCCESS Act is an essential component to permanently closing the homework gap. I urge all of my colleagues in both chambers to help close this digital divide for good.

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