Sen Cruz Leads Amicus Brief Opposing Biden’s Effort to Subsidize TikTok on School Buses

Sen Ted Cruz (R-TX) led his colleagues in filing an amicus brief opposing the Biden administration’s recent decision to expand the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) E-Rate program to fund Wi-Fi on school buses. The Fifth Circuit lawsuit, Molak v. FCC, was brought by parents concerned about the federal government subsidizing children’s unsupervised access to social media sites, like TikTok and Instagram, on bus rides to and from school. In the amicus brief, the senators argue the FCC’s decision to expand the E-Rate program beyond schools and libraries exceeds the agency’s statutory authority and unlawfully extends a lapsed COVID-era program—the Emergency Connectivity Fund—that Congress did not renew. The brief also argues the FCC’s ruling will harm children by enabling their unsupervised access to the internet. Joining Sen Cruz in submitting the amicus brief are Sens Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Ted Budd (R-NC), James Lankford (R-OK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE).