Washington, D.C.--U.S. Congressman Frank Lucas (OK-6) said a tax placed on the backs of all Americans owning telephones will not be widely accepted by U.S. citizens who sent their representatives to the U.S. Congress in 1994 in the name of cutting taxes, decreasing the size of the federal government and balancing the nation=s budget.

"If an additional fee is placed on Americans' phone bills by the FCC in order to fulfill Vice President Al Gore's Internet program, I can assure you he will hear some phones ringing, alright," Lucas said. "This is absolutely the wrong way to go about funding a very meritorious program."

Among other things, these additional phone fees would go toward funding a program to offer discounted Internet hookups for schools, libraries and rural health care. This fee has been dubbed the "Gore Tax" because the Internet access helps meet Vice President Al Gore's pledge to connect the nation=s schools by the year 2000. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) administers the program and would be the entity responsible for the "Gore Tax" appearing on telephone customers' bills in the future.

"Let me assure you that I am extremely supportive of taking our school systems, our libraries, and our rural health facilities into the 21st Century and oppose any attempts to completely dismantle full implementation of the education rate (e-rate) program," Lucas said. "However, the effort to get our schools on-line should not be in the hands of federal bureaucrats and should not be financed in this manner.

"The FCC is a group of five unelected, appointed commissioners who should not be administering tax policy," Lucas added.

The FCC said it would be deciding on the funding issue by Friday at the earliest.

"Speaker Gingrich has already stated that he will lead a House effort to prevent this form of funding in the next two weeks if necessary," Lucas said, "and he will have my full support."