Because the Internet and information technology are the engines driving our economy, I support efforts to keep access to the Internet as free and open as possible.

That's why I support H.R. 1291, the Internet Access Charge Prohibition Act. This bill would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from charging per-minute access fees to send e-mail or surf the web. While it does not extend this prohibition to computer-to-computer voice conversations over the Internet, or Internet telephony, it also does not encourage the FCC to begin imposing per-minute fees.

The Internet should be as free as possible from taxation, regulation and litigation so it can prosper and advance our society as the global leader in commerce and entrepreneurship. I will be closely monitoring the FCC's actions on Internet telephony. I am a big supporter of the Internet and its potential to shape our nation's global leadership.