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Blake Farenthold on Technology

 

 


Voted YES on protecting cyber security by sharing data with government.

Congressional Summary:

Proponent's Argument for voting Yes:

Opponent's Argument for voting No:
Reference: Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act; Bill H.R.624 ; vote number 13-HV117 on Apr 18, 2013

Voted YES on terminating funding for National Public Radio.

    Congressional Summary: To prohibit Federal funding of National Public Radio and the use of Federal funds to acquire radio content, including:
  1. broadcasting, transmitting, and programming over noncommercial educational radio broadcast Corporation for Public Broadcasting was created in 1967. Today, we have multiple listening choices; NPR [has become an] absurd anachronism. It is time to move forward and to let National Public Radio spread its wings and support itself.

    Opponent's Argument for voting No:
    [Rep. Waxman, D-CA]: This bill will cripple National Public Radio, public radio stations, and programming that is vital to over 27 million Americans. We are now voting to deny the public access to one of our Nation's most credible sources of news coverage. This bill does not save a penny. This legislation does not serve any fiscal purpose, but it does serve an ugly ideological one. This legislation is not about reforming NPR. It is about punishing NPR. It is vindictive, it is mean-spirited, it is going to hit the smallest stations in rural areas particularly hard. Public radio is indispensable for access to news that's hard to get, especially where broadband service is limited.

    Reference: Prohibit Federal Funds for NPR; Bill H.1076 ; vote number 11-HV192 on Mar 17, 2011

    Member of House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure.

    Farenthold is a member of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure

    The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has jurisdiction over all modes of transportation: aviation, maritime and waterborne transportation, roads, bridges, mass transit, and railroads. But the Committee has jurisdiction over other aspects of our national infrastructure, such as clean water and waste management, the transport of resources by pipeline, flood damage reduction, the economic development of depressed rural and urban areas, disaster preparedness and response, activities of the Army Corps of Engineers and the various missions of the Coast Guard.

    When combined, these areas of jurisdiction provide a comprehensive view of how communities across the United States are connected to one another, how infrastructure affects the growth and flow of commerce at home and abroad, and how an effective government can improve the lives of its citizens.

    SubcommitteeChairRanking Member
    Aviation Tom Petri (R-WI) Jerry Costello (D-IL)
    SubcommitteeChairRanking Member
    Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) Rick Larsen (D-WA)
    SubcommitteeChairRanking Member
    Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Jeff Denham (R-CA) Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
    SubcommitteeChairRanking Member
    Highways and Transit Jimmy Duncan (R-TN) Peter DeFazio (D-OR)
    SubcommitteeChairRanking Member
    Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Bill Shuster (R-PA) Corrine Brown (D-FL)
    SubcommitteeChairRanking Member
    Water Resources and Environment Bob Gibbs (R-OH) Tim Bishop (D-NY)

    Source: U.S. House of Representatives website, www.house.gov 11-HC-TI on Feb 3, 2011

    Stop foreign internet piracy of copyrighted materials.

    Farenthold co-sponsored OPEN Act

    Congressional Summary:The Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act (or OPEN Act) addresses unfair trade practices relating to infringement of copyrights and trademarks by certain Internet sites. Defines an 'Internet site dedicated to infringing activity' as a website that:

    1. is accessed through a nondomestic domain name;
    2. conducts business directed to residents of the US; and
    3. whose operator primarily uses the site to willfully infringe a copyright, or uses counterfeit marks.
    Exclusions from prosecution::
    1. if the Internet site has a practice of expeditiously removing material that is claimed to be infringing after notification by the owner of the copyright.;
    2. because the Internet site engages in an activity that would not make the operator liable for monetary relief;
    3. because distribution of copies were made without infringing a copyright or trademark.

    OnTheIssues Notes:This bill is intended as a replacement for SOPA and PIPA, the two bills which sparked an Internet protest in January 2012 and a shutdown of Wikipedia.com and google.com. Google and Facebook prefer the OPEN Act; the music and movie industries prefer SOPA and PIPA. Independent content creators, which include OnTheIssues.org and the Copyright Alliance, oppose all three bills on free speech grounds, and because large corporate website have resources to fight legal battles while small independent websites do not.

    Source: H.R.3782 12-H3782 on Jan 18, 2012

    Award research grants based on national interest.

    Farenthold voted YEA Scientific Research in the National Interest Act

    Congressional Summary: Scientific Research in the National Interest Act: This bill directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to award federal funding for basic research and education in the sciences only if the grant promotes the progress of science in the United States, is worthy of federal funding, and is in the national interest.

    Support on GovTrack.us: Lead sponsor Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX-21)--chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee--noted the millions of dollars the NSF has doled out for purposes he considers less than worthwhile. In particular, he cited a few examples he considered particularly egregious, including:

    Opposition on GovTrack.us: The Science Committee's ranking member, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30) called the bill anti-science. She wrote, "Most Members of Congress lack the relevant expertise to fairly evaluate the merits of any particular grant. If we do not trust the Nation's scientific experts to make that judgement, then who are we to trust?" Johnson also noted that the NSF already has a rigorous review process, only funding about 1/5 of grant proposals.

    White House Opposition: Contrary to its stated purpose, [HR.3293] would add nothing to accountability in Federal funding for scientific research, while needlessly adding to bureaucratic burdens and overhead at the NSF. It would replace the clarity of the [current rules implemented in] 1950, with confusing language that could cast a shadow over the value of basic research.

    Legislative outcome: Passed House 236-178-26 (roll call 70, CR H684) on 2/11/16; bill died in Senate committee. The White House had threatened to veto the bill if it passed the Senate.

    Source: Congressional vote 16-HR3293 on Jul 29, 2015

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    Page last updated: Dec 28, 2020