Supporting the Lifeline program

Low-income families in the Northern Mariana Islands received $210,000 in Lifeline discounts on their telephone service last year.  That’s why I joined 22 of my colleagues in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressing concern about Senate legislation that would end the Lifeline discounts for wireless phones.  Fraud, waste, and abuse are often cited as reasons to cut the Lifeline program, but the Federal Communications Commission is already addressing these concerns.  The FCC has established a national database to insure enrollees truly qualify for Lifeline, and codified the “one-per-household” rule, which ensures there is only one discount for each eligible household.  Our letter to Senator Reid recommends additional time to allow the reforms, which should save the government $2 billion by the end of 2014, to be fully implemented before Congress makes any changes that could reduce access to phone service for disadvantaged families who depend on the Lifeline program.