From the article:
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There is already an immediate precedent for helping media companies make the jump from analog to digital technology--all those $40 digital TV converter box vouchers that have been issued. Why shouldn't paper publishing likewise get some assistance through a technology transition?
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Not a great analogy, really: The Fed mandated the transition to digital for their own benefit, allowing them to re-parse the airwaves and make more money off of more licenses. The TV industry was largely pulled along, kicking and screaming, very few networks will actually profit from the transition.
In the case of switching publishing to network-based access, the Fed will not profit from such a venture, and unless the Fed decides it wants to take an active role in the cutting back of paper production, and the resultant environmental damage created by the industry, it otherwise has no good reason to authorize such a switch. (Mind you, improving the environment is a pretty good reason in itself.)
It could be couched in the new administration's desire to improve nationwide network access, but again, only profitable if the Fed gets a cut from those ISP network access fees.