Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District
Home > Legislative Issues > Technology
Legislative Issues
Technology
In addition to addressing technology issues on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, I also serve on the Biotech Caucus, the Nanotech Caucus, the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee and the Congressional Caucus on Intellectual Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention. Following are some highlights of my activities on technology issues:
| Inslee push for more broadband succeeds |
|---|
[ 13 September 2006 ] The Federal Communications Commission set a timetable to free up wasted portions of the television-broadcast spectrum, known as white spaces, for wireless-broadband users. The decision came less than one year after U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee won an amendment to digital-television legislation that instructs the federal agency to finish proceedings on the rule proposed in May 2004. |
| Proponents of free Internet make progresss |
|---|
[ 08 June 2006 ] An Internet-freedom amendment offered by U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Rick Boucher (D-Va.) will be considered in the House as part of comprehensive telecommunications-reform legislation. |
| Fight for free Internet continues |
|---|
[ 02 May 2006 ] Four Democrats on the House commerce panel are employing a new tactic in their battle for a free, unrestricted Internet. |
| Inslee fights content discrimination on Internet |
|---|
[ 26 April 2006 ] Along with three fellow members of the House commerce panel, U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) fought for stronger Internet freedom protections by offering an amendment to a telecommunications reform bill that would ban phone and cable companies from charging Web sites for faster data transmission, or blocking their online competitors’ content and services.. |
| Republican, Democrat on commerce panel join forces on white spaces |
|---|
[ 4 April 2006 ] U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn today joined efforts by U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee to increase broadband access. The two members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee filed legislation that would free up wasted portions of the television-broadcast spectrum, known as white spaces, for emergency responders and wireless-broadband users. |
| Local small businesses win federal technology grants |
|---|
[ 13 December 2005 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee announced that Aculight Corporation in Bothell and Stirling Dynamics Inc. of Kirkland will receive $70,000 and $100,000 respectively in small business contracts with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). |
| Inslee wins amendment to free up spectrum for public safety, wireless broadband |
|---|
[ 27 October 2005 ] On Friday, September 9th, U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee will host a Northwest Telecommunications Forum at the Seattle Center to give Northwest residents and businesses the opportunity to share their opinions about an upcoming re-write by Congress of the nation’s telecommunications laws. The event is open to the public and Puget Sound area residents are invited to attend. |
| Northwest Telecommunications Forum |
|---|
[ 9 September 2005 ] On Friday, September 9th, U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee will host a Northwest Telecommunications Forum at the Seattle Center to give Northwest residents and businesses the opportunity to share their opinions about an upcoming re-write by Congress of the nation’s telecommunications laws. The event is open to the public and Puget Sound area residents are invited to attend. |
| Inslee Praises Court Decision on E-Mail Privacy |
|---|
[ 11 August 2005 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee said that a decision today by the full 1st District U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a positive sign for restoring the privacy of consumers’ E-mail communications. In today’s decision, the full court revived a case that contends that an internet service provider’s interception of a customer’s E-mail is a violation of federal wiretap laws. |
| E-Mail Privacy Act of 2005 |
|---|
[ 29 July 2005 ] U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Chris Cannon (R-UT) introduced the E-Mail Privacy Act of 2005 (H.R. 3503) to restore the privacy of consumers’ E-mail communications, and ensure that any real-time interception of these communications abides by the same privacy standards applied to telephone conversations. |
| Restoring Funding for Puget Sound Biotech Companies |
|---|
[ 16 June 2005 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee reintroduced legislation today to change a recent interpretation that currently prevents many small, predominantly biotech companies from receiving Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants. Inslee’s legislation (H.R. 2943) would restore the ability of small hi-tech and biotechnology companies with venture capital backing to compete for these important grants. |
| Anti-Spyware Legislation Passes House |
|---|
[ 19 May 2005 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee said today that the House passage of two anti-spyware bills is a victory for consumers and technological innovators. The legislation included Inslee’s suggestions for a “just-in-time” notice and consent, and a behavior-based approach to fighting the problem of spyware. |
| Joining the Nanotech Caucus |
|---|
[ 9 February 2005 ] UU.S. Rep. Jay Inslee accepted an invitation to join the new, bipartisan and bicameral Congressional Nanotechnology Caucus. Nanotechnology allows the creation of new products and processes through the manipulation of individual atoms. Nanotechnology is expected to have a significant impact on the future of many fields, including information technology, homeland security, biotechnology, medicine, military systems, chemical plants, and energy production and distribution. |
| Restore Funding to Advanced Technology Program |
|---|
[ 15 November 2004 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee along with 16 other Members of Congress sent a letter to conferees of the FY 2005 Commerce-Justice-State appropriations bill (H.R. 4754) to urge them to restore funding for the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) at the National Institute of Standards (NIST). |
| SBIR Grant for Kirkland-based Userspace |
|---|
[ 8 October 2004 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (WA-01) announced today that Kirkland-based Userspace has received a Phase One Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant of $194,000. This grant, part of a two-year project, is expected to reach $394,000 overall once Userspace receives anticipated government funding of $200,000 next year pending the satisfactory progress of the project. The grant will be used for distributed protein processing using multiple networked instrument routers connected to Mass Spectrometers. |
| Follow-up on Outsourcing Report |
|---|
[ 7 October 2004 ] In a follow-up to a recent report from the Government Accounting Office (GAO) that revealed a series of disturbing findings concerning offshoring, several Members of Congress asked Commerce Secretary Donald Evans to address some of the report’s most critical findings. |
| Spyware Legislation Passes House |
|---|
[ 5 October 2004 ] Today, U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Christopher Shays (R-CT) commended the House of Representatives on passing legislation to combat the problem of spyware. Spyware can impair consumers’ experience, undermine privacy and threaten security when deceptive software is installed on their systems without their knowledge or consent. The legislation, H.R. 2929, passed the House by a vote of 399 to one. |
| GAO Report on Outsourcing |
|---|
[ 22 September 2004 ] U.S Rep. Jay Inslee (WA-01) and colleagues today released a report by the General Accounting Office (GAO) on the trend of private and public sector outsourcing of American jobs to other countries. The GAO report represents the first comprehensive study to date and contains some information that causes concern about the outsourcing of American jobs. |
| Bothell Biotech Receives SBIR Grant for DNA Research |
|---|
[ 10 September 2004 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (WA-01) announced today that Bothell-based Blue Heron Biotechnology, Inc. has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant in the amount of $137,910. Blue Heron Biotechnology will apply the grant to fund research to develop a “universal” restriction enzyme system. |
| Restoring Federal Grants to Biotechs |
|---|
[ 3 September 2004 ] Biotech and biomedical companies are a huge boon to our area, and they are doing amazing work, but Congress needs to act to stop a bureaucratic foul-up from restricting their progress. Currently, many biotech companies with venture capital backing are ineligible to receive Small Business Innovation Research grants for which they had previously qualified. I am working to remove this impediment to invention by passing legislation to re-establish the field of small businesses eligible to qualify for SBIR grants. |
| E-mail Privacy Act of 2004 |
|---|
[ 22 July 2004 ] U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee (D-WA), Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and William Delahunt (D-MA) today introduced bipartisan legislation to restore the privacy of consumers’ E-mail communications, and ensure that any interception of these communications abides by the same privacy standards applied to telephone conversations. Inslee introduced the E-mail Privacy Act of 2004 (H.R. 4956) in response to a recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, which ruled that the federal wiretap law does not apply to interception of E-mail in real-time transmission. |
| Grant to Aculight for Advanced Laser Development |
|---|
[ 29 June 2004 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (WA-01) announced today that a high tech company located in Bothell, Washington has won two new contracts under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Aculight Corporation, a leading developer of state-of-the-art laser technology, has secured a Phase II contract from the Department of Energy (DOE) for $750,000, and a Phase I contract from the National Institute of Health in the amount of $100,000. |
| Spyware Legislation |
|---|
[ 29 April 2004 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) announced today the introduction of new legislation to address the growing problem of spyware. Spyware is software that is deceptively installed on a user’s computer to collect personal information, modify computer settings, or display unwanted advertising. |
| Restoring Biotech and Hi-Tech SBIR Funding |
|---|
[ 2 April 2004 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) has introduced legislation (H.R. 4149) to correct a rule that currently prevents many small, predominantly biotech companies from receiving Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants. |
| Helping Hi-Tech Workers Who Lose Jobs to Outsourcing |
|---|
[ 18 February 2004 ] U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee and Adam Smith announced new legislation (HR 3881) that will provide comprehensive assistance to hi-tech workers who lose their jobs due to outsourcing. The new legislation would extend TAA to cover displaced service workers, such as software programmers and other hi-tech workers. |
| Urging Passage of Patent Fee Modernization |
|---|
[ 10 February 2004 ] U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) sent a letter to the Members of Congress today, urging them to support the current version of the Patent and Trademark Fee Modernization Act of 2003 during tomorrow’s vote. This legislation would increase patent application fees charged to inventors, and use the increased funding to improve patent quality and expedite patent processing. Inslee and Rohrabacher are concerned about the possibility of lawmakers changing the legislation to permit the patent fees to be used for funding projects unrelated to the Patent and Trademark Office. |
| Touring Local Aerospace Firm |
|---|
[ 3 February 2004 ] This afternoon, U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee toured Korry Electronics Company. Korry Electronics manufactures the air traffic control displays used by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Recently, Inslee wrote a letter to the FAA in an effort to preempt the Connecticut delegation’s attempts to steer the FAA away from Korry Electronic’s products. |
| Touring Biotech and High-Tech Companies in Bothell |
|---|
[ 17 December 2003 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee visited local biotech and high-tech companies at the Canyon Park business center in Bothell, Washington. Canyon Park is home to many of the First Congressional District's, and the nation’s, most cutting edge technology companies. Thousands of highly trained individuals work in Canyon Park, and it offers the potential to be a primary economic growth engine for our state. |
| Anti-Spam Legislation |
|---|
[ 16 December 2003 ] Unsolicited “SPAM” emails are an incredible nuisance for computer users, and many of U.S. Rep. Inslee's constituents have asked the federal government to curtail the use of junk emails that clutter their inboxes with inappropriate and unwanted material. With Inslee's support, Congress recently passed the CAN SPAM Act of 2003 (S.877). |
| Inslee Presents National Award to Local Tech Company |
|---|
[ 15 December 2003 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee and the Small Business Administration (SBA) presented the “Administrators Award for Excellence” to the Aculight Corporation of Bothell, Washington. Aculight develops laser technologies for medical, industrial, and national defense applications. |
| Modernizing Patent and Trademark Fees |
|---|
[ 16 October 2003 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee joined the Congressional Caucus on Intellectual Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention (IP Caucus), along with several former Commissioners of the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO), to hold a press conference urging the House Leadership to schedule a vote on H.R. 1561, "The United States Patent and Trademark Fee Modernization Act of 2003." |
| Community Telecommunications Planning Act |
|---|
[ 19 June 2003 ] As part of an effort to bring high-speed Internet access to rural and underserved communities, Inslee introduced companion legislation to U.S. Senator Patty Murray’s Community Telecommunications Planning Act. This bill would establish grants to help local and tribal governments, non-profits, public utilities, cooperatives, ports and other public groups to develop effective, local plans to bring high-speed Internet access to their areas. |
| Significantly Improved Webcasting Legislation |
|---|
[ 15 November 2002 ] U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee praised last nights passage of significantly improved webcasting legislation that will essentially save many commercial and noncommercial Internet radio stations. |
| Passage of Internet Radio Bill in House |
|---|
[ 17 October 2002 ] The House passed the Small Webcaster Amendments Act of 2002 (H.R. 5469), a bill that lowered the royalty rates that small webcasters are required to pay for streaming radio over the Internet. |
| Internet Radio Fairness Act |
|---|
[ 26 July 2002 ] The "Internet Radio Freedom Act," H.R. 5285, is designed to make the copyright royalty arbitration process more fair for smaller entities. Congress should support creative and innovative uses for new technology, not drive small web radio broadcasters out of business with huge fees. |
| Webcasting Fees Too High |
|---|
[ 22 April 2002 ] Inslee and nineteen other Members of Congress sent a letter opposing proposed Internet radio sound recording performance royalty rates. "These excessively high rates treat webcasters unfairly, and will stifle innovation on the Internet," said Inslee. |
| Expanding Access to Broadband |
|---|
[ 25 March 2002 ] Providing access to high-speed internet services is one of the most significant measures we can take to maximize the power of the Internet. Enhancing this dynamic medium will empower many individuals and provide new opportunities. |
| Inslee's Successful Digital Signature Bill |
|---|
|
Currently, consumers cannot complete certain transactions over the Internet or via e-mail. For example, people must physically sign contracts to obtain car titles, mortgage papers, and life insurance polices, while businesses are required by law to provide consumers with details about those transactions on paper.Imagine that consumers were able to comparison shop for services, request documentation about a particular product or service, apply for the good or service, have their application approved, and complete the transaction, all on-line. Imagine, too, that all of this was possible without losing any existing consumer protections. My successful Digital Signature Bill passed the House, and will help make ecommerce much easier. |
| Inslee Introduces Critical Care Spectrum Act |
|---|
|
Washington Broadcasters, Washington Heart Association, Spacelabs Medical, Harborview Medical Support Effort U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee introduced legislation to ensure that medical monitoring equipment will continue to function reliably. The problem is that medical monitoring devices, such as the heart monitors used in hospitals and nursing homes, currently share the same broadcast channels as many other users, such as digital television and taxi drivers. Simultaneous use of the same broadcast channel may cause medical devices to unexpectedly fail. U.S. Rep. Inslee has introduced a bill to dedicate a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to medical telemetry devices. Inslee's bill also would ensure that a safe time period for transition to the new spectrum is set before other high-powered users are allowed to share the same frequency bands needed by medical telemetry. |
| Inslee Welcomes Broadband to Kitsap County |
|---|
|
U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee today congratulated Kitsap PUD on lighting its new fiber optic capability. "Kitsap will be able to offer the same high-speed service to businesses and residents as Seattle, San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Broadband service will prove to be a very important asset to our local economy," said Inslee. Kitsap PUD will offer use of the backbone to Quest, Sprint, and Century Tel, and will sell service to Internet service providers, cable companies, and application service providers such as Paladin Data. |
| Inslee Hosts Internet Education Forum, Brings Together Industry CEOs and Congress |
|---|
|
U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee led a presentation and interactive discussion for freshmen Members of Congress to explore Internet policy issues at an event hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee. Inslee was the driving force behind the organization of this gathering. "We know that members of the Internet Caucus are interested in Internet issues, but there's a need to reach out to other freshmen Members of Congress," said Inslee. "Here is a real opportunity to highlight for freshmen the importance of the Internet as a vehicle for democracy, communications, and commerce, and to initiate an on-going dialogue with Members on these issues." |
| Inslee Convenes First District Biotechnology Advisory Group |
|---|
|
U.S. Rep. Inslee held a biotechnology roundtable in the District with industry leaders, medical researchers, and health advocates, to discuss issues of importance to the Biotech community. "By investing in groundbreaking research, biotechnology companies are making our senior population healthier, putting people with medical conditions back to work, and improving the economy through increased productivity," said Inslee. "I will work with my colleagues to make the research and development tax credit permanent. Also, as we in Congress struggle to provide prescription drug coverage for seniors on Medicare, I will work to ensure that we do not force companies to take money out of research and development to make up for budgetary pricing caps." |
| Inslee’s Office Among the First to Use Bulk E-mail Franking |
|---|
|
U.S. Rep. Inslee was surprised to learn that his own office was one of the very first in Congress to request permission to send bulk e-mail to constituents this year. "I find e-mail and the Internet to be useful tools for democracy. E-mail is a much more interactive form of communication than postal mail, the constituent can receive a response from me more rapidly through e-mail than through postal mail, and of course communicating by e-mail saves a taxpayer the cost of two stamps," said Inslee. |