As a senior member and former chairman (2001-2006) of the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, I have worked to increase the deployment of telecommunications services to all American households. I have worked to ensure that free speech and private innovation remain the hallmarks of this industry, while also guaranteeing that children are protected from online predators and indecent material.
Fighting Needless Government Regulation
With limited government regulation, private broadband investment and innovation have flourished, creating thousands of jobs and expanding Internet services to nearly every American household. I have worked to preserve the openness of the Internet, while simultaneously encouraging more competition and innovation in telecommunications services. Increased competition in the marketplace is vital to providing better, cheaper service to more customers.
Keeping the Internet Tax-Free
I support keeping the Internet permanently free from all federal taxes, which is why I have continued to support the bipartisan Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (H.R. 1560). The absence of such taxes will help keep consumers’ high-speed and dial-up Internet rates low, while also protecting goods sold over the Internet from being unfairly singled out or double-taxed.
Digital Television (DTV) Transition
I helped oversee the successful transition from traditional analog television to digital broadcasting. The switch from analog to digital was one of the 9-11 Commission’s top recommendations in order to ensure that our emergency responders have the appropriate broadcast spectrum to communicate with each other in the event of a national catastrophe. The transition also provided the American consumer with a dramatically higher quality of over-the-air programming and a greater number of programming options.
Decency in Broadcasting
I helped lead the successful bipartisan effort to substantially increase the level of fines that the Federal Communications Commission can impose on broadcasters who violate our broadcast indecency laws. The laws for indecency over the public airwaves have been on the books for years, but lacked the necessary “bite” to ensure major media conglomerates comply with the law.
