The U.S. Senate has passed a resolution led by Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to repeal a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule introduced during the Biden administration. The rule, known as the Biden Hotspot Rule, aimed to expand the Universal Service Fund (USF) to subsidize off-campus Wi-Fi hotspot use for schoolchildren. This expansion was criticized for not requiring parental consent and lacking adequate filtering measures, potentially exposing children to inappropriate content.
Senator Cruz described the FCC’s decision as an “illegal, harmful” action that undermined parental rights and risked increasing taxes on American families. He stated, “Today, we voted to reverse this rule and protect America’s children from the many dangers lurking when they surf the web without parental consent or supervision.”
The Biden Hotspot Rule was criticized for its lack of spending limits on federal dollars for hotspots and potential redundancy with existing broadband subsidies, such as the $42 billion BEAD program. Concerns were raised about its impact on rural broadband expansion efforts and the stability of core USF programs.
The resolution passed in the Senate with a 50-38 vote and will now proceed to the House of Representatives. Co-sponsors of this Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution include Senators John Thune (R-S.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), among others.
In previous efforts, Senator Cruz has opposed similar expansions of FCC programs, emphasizing parental control over children’s internet access. In April 2024, he filed an amicus brief against funding Wi-Fi on school buses through E-Rate program expansions. Additionally, in October 2023, he introduced The Eyes on the Board Act to restrict access to social media apps on federally funded networks.
