Consumer Protection
As Chairman of the Commerce, Trade & Consumer Protection Subcommittee, I am working to ensure that the American consumer is safe from dangerous products and safe from unfair business practices. We exercise Congressional oversight for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission which is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction.
We have looked at a number of consumer issues - the online sale of wine, tire tread safety, and the impact of the online travel business on travelers. I am committed to ensuring that consumers receive the benefit of emerging technologies and services, and that they are protected from harmful products.
Veterans
Our outstanding military forces are once again engaged in combat overseas. It is, therefore, appropriate for us to reflect on what America's veterans have given us. Every day that we are free to express our opinion, to worship in the place of our own choosing, or to exercise our right to vote is a testament to the sacrifices of all America's veterans, both present and past.
John Adams, in a letter to his wife, stated "I go to war so that my children can work the fields and their children can enjoy poetry and the arts." As a businessman, a community leader, and an elected official -- I have been honored with many awards and titles. However, one title that I carry with great pride is that of veteran.
The Veterans are the only group of Americans that have earned their benefits; they didn't just happen to be here; they earned it on the battlefield; they earned it in service to their nation. As the guardians of our freedoms, these men and women are owed our respect and our support. We have a special debt to our veterans, and we have a sacred responsibility to fulfill the promises made to them. Today, we have more than 25 million veterans in America. As a member of Congress, I am committed to meeting the needs of these brave men and women.
Telecommunications & The Internet
As a senior member of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, I am very concerned with our nation's telecommunications laws. The 1996 Telecommunications Act has served its purpose in starting to deregulate the market, technology has advanced so much that we need to update these laws.
If we are able to modernize our telecommunications laws to better fit today's technology, I am confident there will be more competition. Competition always leads to lower costs for consumers, and improves the quality of life for millions of Americans.
The private sector is proceeding with the deployment of broadband technologies that provide high-speed Internet access. Broadband is transforming the Internet and making the digital economy faster and more efficient. Although many businesses now use broadband, only 8 percent of American households have broadband access. It is the role of Congress to ensure that broadband deployment is timely and available to all sectors and areas of American society, and that industry competes fairly in delivering these services.
As e-commerce continues to flourish and broadband services expand, an emerging technology offers massive potential for new products and services - that technology is third-generation wireless (3G) services. 3G, the synthesis of mobile communications and the Internet, represents another technological leap forward with significant economic benefits. The deployment of these services gives consumers new digital products, such as high-speed Internet access and video and informational services. It also offers high-tech and information services a new avenue for innovation and growth.
3G deployment is constrained, however, because the Federal government has yet to develop a comprehensive, workable spectrum policy. The spectrum is the range of airwave bands carrying radio, wireless, and other signals. As a public resource, it is regulated or controlled by the government. Congress must develop a plan for the more efficient use of the spectrum to accommodate growing demands and new technologies.
The United States is the leader in these fields. We must maintain our preeminence in providing high-tech and information services and remove antiquated obstacles that no longer serve the public interest that merely impede the development and deployment of new technologies. The world will not wait on us. This is one of my top priorities.
America's Energy Future
I am also a member of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus. As a member of this caucus, we also have to emphasize emerging energy alternatives and efficient technologies. These would include incentives for renewable fuels production, hydroelectric power, enhanced research and development and overall energy conservation.
In 2005, I participated in the House and Senate conference on a final energy bill, which was signed into law by the President. On balance, this bill, H.R. 6, is a good first step in ending our reliance on foreign oil by encouraging more domestic production of oil with incentives such as a streamlined permit process. Although it is a good first step, we must still scale back our demand for oil. The bill encourages vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells and increases funding for the Department of Transportation to work to improve fuel-efficiency standards. H.R. 6 also promotes clean and renewable fuels by providing incentives for clean coal technology and renewable energies such as biomass, wind, solar and hydroelectricity.
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