Republican Commerce Committee Leaders Seek Information About FCC's Response to EBB 'Fraud and Abuse'

Reps Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Bob Latta (R-OH), along with Sens Roger Wicker (R-MS) and John Thune (R-SD) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel seeking information about the agency’s response after the FCC Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that broadband providers have been fraudulently enrolling households in the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. The providers falsely claimed that certain customers’ households had children attending schools participating in the National School Lunch Program’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) in order to obtain EBB funds. The OIG found that in some CEP schools, the number of households enrolled in EBB based on students attending that school far exceeded the number of students actually attending the school. "The upcoming transition of the EBB to the [Affordable Connectivity program] provides further reason for concern," says the letter. "We are concerned that the FCC may proceed with rules for a permanent ACP that do not adequately protect American taxpayers or best serve eligible households." To "help Congress ensure that the FCC is appropriately administering and overseeing the EBB program," the lawmakers asked the FCC to respond to a series of questions by January 7, 2022.