Senator Murray: “Even before the pandemic, access to reliable, high-speed internet was absolutely a necessity for students—and it has only become more true these past few years.”
ICYMI: Senator Murray Announces Over $8 Million in Funding for Rural Broadband Access in Washington state – MORE HERE
(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced over $2 million in funding to expand broadband access for Washington state schools. The funding comes from the American Rescue Plan, which Senator Murray was a leader in passing, and will be distributed via the Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF). The ECF commits federal funds to support schools and libraries in providing digital tools and services to communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Even before the pandemic, access to reliable, high-speed internet was absolutely a necessity for students—and it has only become more true these past few years,” said Senator Murray. “That is why, when we negotiated the American Rescue Plan, I worked hard to secure the broadband investments students and staff need to stay on track and to stay competitive.”
The funding is going to Mount Vernon School District 320, Moses Lake School District 161, and Highline School District 401. In total, Washington state schools and libraries have received more than $120 million in commitments from the ECF, translating to nearly 58,000 connections and the purchase of more than 266,000 connected devices.
A longtime advocate for expanding broadband access, Senator Murray worked to include $65 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to ensure that every family in America has access to reliable, high speed internet. Notably, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes Senator Murray’s Digital Equity Act, which helps to close the digital divide by funding activities that provide individuals and communities with the skills and technologies necessary to take full advantage of internet connection.
Senator Murray also worked to include $7 billion in emergency E-Rate funding for schools and libraries to cover the costs of equipment and broadband connections for students, staff, and patrons in the American Rescue Plan. Senator Murray was a cosponsor of the legislation the program was based off and pushed repeatedly for the FCC to take action to help close the homework gap during the pandemic.
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