John Delaney on Technology Democratic candidate for President; U.S. Rep from MD-6

Boost infrastructure spending by raising gasoline tax

No candidates have similar views. A traditionally unpopular political position, so far only one person has come out in favor of raising the gas tax for transportation spending, combined with also changing corporate tax rates: John Delaney. Delaney's proposal is among the most detailed in the Democratic field: a $1 trillion, 10-year plan with a $250 billion federal contribution; the rest would be made up by state and local contributions and public-private partnerships. He also calls for a $50 billion infrastructure bank to fund projects across energy, water, transportation and telecommunications.

Adopt California's strict privacy rules federally

At least one candidate has suggested Congress emulate California's own sweeping online privacy law, considered the toughest in the country. "I favor digital privacy legislation at the federal level very similar to what California has done," former Rep. John Delaney told The New York Times. "I think that's the right framework."

The California Consumer Privacy Act, set to go into effect in 2020, gives consumers the right to opt out of the sale of their personal information, to request that their data be deleted and to request that companies disclose what information gets collected on them. It allows the state to fine companies for violations and, under certain circumstances, lets individual Californians sue companies for failing to keep their data secure.

Don't break up tech giants; regulate them instead

THREE CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Kirsten Gillibrand; Seth Moulton; Beto O`Rourke.

A number of candidates argue that new regulations, which most of the 2020 Democratic field agrees should be placed on online giants like Google and Facebook, would end up addressing many of the concerns that the companies' scale and market power raise. In doing so, they have spurned overt calls by progressive candidates like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders to break up tech titans.

"I think the first thing to do with tech giants is to significantly increase the regulation and make sure we've updated not only the antitrust laws in this country but the communications laws in this country so they can be appropriately regulated and they don't exercise monopoly power," former Maryland Rep. John Delaney told the Times.

National AI Strategy focused on security

• Prioritize resources to eliminate gaps in national abilities compared to other high-tech countries
• Invest in areas of research that deserve additional funding
• Develop incentives for high-tech professionals to work for the government
• Support an immigration system that values high-tech professionals
• Crack down on international intellectual property (IP) theft
• Advance AI defense capabilities to ensure the U.S. can defend against future technological threats
• Lead the international community in establishing rules of engagement to ensure the technology does not lead to a lower threshold for violence

Bipartisanship on infrastructure, digital privacy, and more

He ticked off six possible areas of common ground he thinks both parties could find if he's president--a carbon tax; infrastructure spending; criminal justice reform; immigration reform; digital privacy and a new national service programme. You have to admit, he's an optimist.

National strategy for artificial intelligence & automation

Maintain and invest in 21st-century infrastructure

Our world-class infrastructure was one of the most important drivers of our competitive economic strength throughout the twentieth century. It allowed companies to grow, boosted their productivity, and, as a result created higher living standards for our own citizens. But the failure

More money into R&D, to enable entrepreneurial risk

• Pursue policies that encourage and enable people to take the risks that accompany entrepreneurship.
• Put more money into research and development, particularly if we want to be an entrepreneurial country.
• Institute a higher capital gains tax rate for short-term investing and at the same time provide very low rates for those who hold their investments for ten years or more.
• Eliminate duplicate and pointless regulations that serve as major stumbling blocks for businesses.

Voted NO on protecting cyber security by sharing data with government.

• CISPA conducts federal cybersecurity activities to provide shared situational awareness enabling integrated operational actions to protect, prevent, and recover from cyber incidents.

Proponent's Argument for voting Yes:

• Rep. SINEMA: We need a 21st century solution for this 21st century problem. This bill ensures that research and development, intellectual property, and software code is no longer being stolen by China, Iran, and Russia.
• Rep. MAFFEI: We've already seen state actors like the People's Republic of China pursue widespread data theft from American computer networks. This is a clear and present danger.

• Rep. McNERNEY: I'm concerned with the civil protections not required in H.R. 624. Businesses should be required to remove personally identifiable information before submitting data to Federal agencies.
• CNet.com: Rep. Ron Paul warned that CISPA represents the "latest assault on Internet freedom"; that "CISPA is Big Brother writ large." CISPA would permit, but not require, Internet companies to hand over confidential customer records to federal agencies. What sparked the privacy worries--including opposition from the ACLU and the Republican Liberty Caucus--is the section of CISPA that says "notwithstanding any other provision of law." By including the word "notwithstanding," CISPA's drafters intended to make their legislation trump all existing laws. It would render irrelevant wiretap laws, Web companies' privacy policies, and more.
• Rep. LOFGREN: CISPA could allow any private company to share vast amounts of sensitive, private data about its customers with the government. CISPA would override all other privacy laws, and allow a private company to share nearly anything--from the contents of private emails to medical records--as long as it "directly pertains to" a broadly defined "cyber threat."

Sponsored investing $1 billion in transportation projects.

Congressional Summary: TIGER Grants for Job Creation Act: Congress finds the following:

1. The economy is struggling to recover from the recession. The unemployment rate is nearly 8%.
2. The American Society of Civil Engineers' 2009 Report Card for America's Infrastructure estimated that there is a $549 billion shortfall in investments in roads and bridges and an additional $190 billion shortfall in investments in transit.
3. TIGER, formally known as the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant program, is a nationwide competitive grant program that creates jobs by funding investments in transportation infrastructure.

Opponent's argument against bill:(The Reason Foundation, July 6, 2012):

The US Constitution authorizes Congress "to regulate Commerce...among the several States." However, the five non-motorized transportation projects, the six transit projects and the six multimodal projects TIGER Grants have funded serve no national need. Some of the port, passenger rai