Arlington, Va., July 25, 2007 - Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), John Thune (R-SD) and Representatives Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) and George P. Radanovich (R-CA) are the latest in a series of members of Congress to express support for the interim cap proposed earlier this year by the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service. A decision on the matter is pending before the FCC.

Sen. Thune serves on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Representative Radanovich serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.

In their July 23 letter to FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin, the members of the South Dakota congressional delegation - Sens. Johnson and Thune and Rep. Herseth Sandlin - explain: 'We write to request timely action by the Commission to impose a temporary, emergency cap on Universal Service funding for competitive eligible telecommunications carriers (CETCs). This action, recently recommended by the Federal-State Board on Universal Service, would represent an important first step toward comprehensive reform.'

In his July 19 letter to Chairman Martin, Rep. Radanovich writes: '[R]ecent growth in support for competitive carriers has grown at an unsustainable rate. Consumers have borne the brunt of these increases in their voice service bills. Without this cap, the USF has been projected to increase as much as $500 million this year alone.'

In her July 18 letter to Chairman Martin, Sen. Landrieu writes: 'In recent years, virtually all of the growth in the USF has occurred in the competitive eligible telecommunications carrier (CETC) portion of the Fund. In contrast, the incumbent portion of the Fund has been flat or even declined over the last five years. Additionally, since 1993, caps have limited the amount of support available to rural, independent local exchange carriers. This development threatens the promise of the Telecommunications Act to provide affordable advanced telecommunications services to rural and insular areas, and additionally threatens our small, independent telecommunications companies.'

Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Larry Craig (R-ID), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Ben Nelson (D-NE), and Reps. Barbara Cubin (R-WY), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Vito Fossella (R-NY), Baron Hill (D-IN), Lee Terry (R-NE), Edolphus Towns (D-NY) and Robert Wexler (D-FL) have all written to the FCC in support of the proposed interim cap on CETCs. Additionally, more than 800 telecommunications providers from 47 states recently sent a petition to the FCC and Members of Congress in support of the cap.

The USF ensures reliable access to affordable telecommunications services for millions of U.S. consumers in high-cost service areas. Between 2002 and 2006, however, USF payments to CETCs increased by more than 100 percent annually. This exploding growth threatens the financial integrity of the entire USF program, which also provides support for schools, libraries and rural health care. The temporary cap is recommended by a panel of federal and state regulators, and is needed to avert a crisis that could affect millions of consumers.

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The Coalition to Keep America Connected is dedicated to ensuring that all consumers have access to affordable telecommunications services and the latest technologies-no matter where they live. The effort is organized by four rural telecom associations, whose memberships include 700 small and midsize communications companies. Together these companies serve millions of consumers and 40% of the landmass across America. Visit us at www.keepamericaconnected.org.