Rep Pallone Requests Access to Audits of FCC High-Cost Fund

House Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) sent a letter to Universal Service Administrative Company CEO Radha Sekar requesting the audits conducted during the preceding three fiscal years for both the Federal Communications Commission’s Legacy High-Cost and Rural Health Care programs in order to better understand the potential for waste, fraud and abuse in the programs. The High-Cost Program is by far the largest Universal Service Program, spending $4.5 billion each year. Rep Pallone is requesting that the Universal Service Administrative Company provide:

• The audits conducted as part of the Payment Quality Assurance Program and the Beneficiary and Contributor Audit Program for the Legacy High-Cost Program and;
• The audits conducted as part of the Payment Quality Assurance Program and the Beneficiary and Contributor Audit Program for the Rural Health Care Program.