,,iv  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #cdj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,september #aj1     
#bjac,ms4 ,matsui submitted the         
following resolution2 which was referred
 to the ,committee on ,energy and       
,commerce  ,,resolution  ,expressing the
 support of ,congress for ,national     
,telephone ,discount ,lifeline          
,awareness ,week4  ,whereas under the   
direction of ,congress1 the ,federal    
,communications ,commission 78,,fcc07   
and the ,state public utility           
commissions have joined in a            
collaborative effort to make basic      
telephone service more affordable for   
the ,nation's low-income consumers by   
providing a discount2 ,whereas the      
universal service ,lifeline program     
offers tremendous benefits for eligible 
consumers residing in urban1 rural1     
suburban1 and ,tribal areas in the      
,united ,states and makes basic         
telephone service 7wireline and         
wireless7 more affordable2 ,whereas in  

#aihd1 #hj percent of low-income        
households had telephone service1       
compared with #ie percent of            
non-low-income households1 and since the
 inception of ,lifeline in #aihe1 that  
#ae-percent gap had narrowed to #d      
percent by #bjaa2 ,whereas the ,,fcc has
 reformed the ,lifeline program in      
recent years to improve program         
efficiency and combat waste1 fraud1 and 
abuse to ensure that only eligible      
low-income consumers are receiving this 
vital support1 including a requirement  
that every recipient show proof of      
eligibility at sign-up and recertify    
eligibility on an annual basis2 ,whereas
 consumers should not be without basic  
telephone service due to the inability  
to afford such service1 thus the        
promotion of the ,lifeline program is   
imperative to ensure that all ,united   
,states consumers have access to        
affordable basic telephone service and  
the benefits in an emergency that such  
service provides2 ,whereas ,acting ,,fcc

 ,chairwoman ,mignon ,clyburn stated on 
,april #bc1 #bjac1 ,those who can       
benefit the most from high-speed        
,internet should have the means to      
purchase it1 but when they don't1 not   
only is it not fair1 the negative impact
 on our society and economy is          
immeasurable42 ,whereas according to the
 ,pew ,research ,center ,home ,broadband
 #bjac ,report1 nearly #a in #c ,united 
,states citizens still do not subscribe 
to broadband services at home2 ,whereas 
the ,national ,broadband ,plan found    
that #cf percent of non-adopters1 or    
#bh1jjj1jjj ,united ,states citizens1   
said they do not have home broadband    
service because of the cost of the      
service1 the cost of the installation of
 the service1 or the cost of a computer2
 ,whereas the ,national ,broadband      
,plan1 as a central recommendation to   
increase broadband adoption rates1      
recommends the expansion of ,link-,up   
and ,lifeline for universal broadband   
adoption to help bridge the digital     

divide2 ,whereas the ,,fcc has launched 
a broadband pilot program to test       
different ways to bridge the digital    
divide so low-income consumers can have 
access to broadband2 ,whereas ,congress1
 the ,,fcc1 the ,national ,association  
of ,regulatory ,utility ,commissioners  
7,,naruc71 the ,national ,association of
 ,state ,utility ,consumer ,advocates   
7,,nasuca71 other ,state and ,federal   
agencies1 cities1 counties1             
organizations1 and telecommunications   
companies are committed to increasing   
awareness about the availability of the 
,lifeline program and are encouraging   
eligible consumers to sign up for the   
programs2 ,whereas1 because millions of 
,united ,states consumers are struggling
 financially during the recent economic 
downturn1 programs1 such as the         
,lifeline program1 are even more        
essential for eligible low-income       
consumers to connect to and stay        
connected to the telecommunications     
network2 and ,whereas ,,naruc and       

,,nasuca1 in cooperation with the ,,fcc1
 have joined together to designate the  
first full week in ,september following 
the week of ,labor ,day as 8,national   
,telephone ,discount ,lifeline          
,awareness ,week0 and to implement a    
comprehensive outreach plan to promote  
,lifeline awareness and educate current 
and potential subscribers about new     
eligibility rules and annual            
recertification requirements by         
providing a discount on monthly         
recurring charges and1 for eligible     
,tribal customers1 on the connection fee
 as well3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that  
it is the sense of the ,house of        
,representatives that-- 7#a7 the        
national interest of the ,united ,states
 is served by further outreach1         
education1 and participation in the     
,lifeline program by eligible low-income
 consumers2  7#b7 the ,,fcc should be   
commended for efforts to improve the    
,lifeline program's efficiency and      
addressing waste1 fraud1 and abuse in   

the program to ensure that vital        
,federal resources are only going to    
those who are truly eligible2  7#c7 the 
,lifeline program provides a valuable   
service to low-income consumers in the  
,united ,states2  7#d7 the ,lifeline    
program should be modernized to allow   
eligible low-income consumers to access 
affordable telephone or broadband       
services2  7#e7 the ,,fcc1 ,,naruc1 and 
,,nasuca are to be commended for their  
initiative in creating ,national        
,telephone ,discount ,lifeline          
,awareness ,week to promote ,lifeline   
subscribership2 and  7#f7 ,congress     
supports such initiative across the     
,nation4