ChesusRice
Well-Known Member
The video — using a clip from a news show — briefly acknowledges that the subsidized cell phones are funded by “a hidden fee that’s on your cell phone bill.” But the rest of the video portrays the fee as a government tax. Griffin suggests the program is an example of wasteful federal spending when he says: “If we can’t cut this, then we’re in big, big trouble when it comes to cutting other wasteful spending because this is easy.”
We tackled a similar claim in 2009 regarding the so-called “Obama phone.” As we explained then, the FCC requires phone companies to fund “universal service” programs such as Lifeline that improve telecommunications access to all Americans. The companies pass the cost along to consumers in the form of a universal service fee, which is listed on a monthly phone bill.
The fees go into the Universal Service Fund, which is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company, an independent, not-for-profit corporation. USAC manages Lifeline and three other programs that provide telecommunications services to rural areas, schools, libraries and places where it’s more expensive to provide access.
We tackled a similar claim in 2009 regarding the so-called “Obama phone.” As we explained then, the FCC requires phone companies to fund “universal service” programs such as Lifeline that improve telecommunications access to all Americans. The companies pass the cost along to consumers in the form of a universal service fee, which is listed on a monthly phone bill.
The fees go into the Universal Service Fund, which is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company, an independent, not-for-profit corporation. USAC manages Lifeline and three other programs that provide telecommunications services to rural areas, schools, libraries and places where it’s more expensive to provide access.