Steve Stockman on Technology Former Republican Representative (TX-9)

Accepts Bitcoin donations as an alternative to fiat currency

The Bitcoin Center itself is still in something of a planning stage, existing more as a statement about Bitcoin itself, though it plans on hosting a hackathon later this month.

Stockman, a vocal opponent of Fed policy, told Business Insider last night that he wants to promote Bitcoin, whose most fervent evangelists tout as an alternative to "fiat currency" [such as dollars; Bitcoin is not backed by any government]. To do so, he is now accepting Bitcoin for his Senate campaign against incumbent John Cornyn.

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 sustained human presence on Moon, instead of Asteroids.

Congressional Summary: Reasserting American Leadership in Space Act (REAL Space Act): Congress finds the following:

• NASA's top priority in human space flight is to develop a sustained human presence on the Moon, as a stepping stone for the future exploration of Mars and other destinations.
• A sustained human presence on the Moon will allow astronauts and researchers the opportunity to leverage new technologies in addressing the challenges of sustaining life on another celestial body.
• Space is the world's ultimate high ground, returning to the Moon and reinvigorating our human space flight program is a matter of national security.
• China and Russia have declared their intentions of colonizing the Moon.
• NASA shall plan to return to the Moon by 2022 and develop a sustained human presence on the Moon.

Sponsor's argument for bill: Rep. John Culberson: It is critical for NASA to have a bold vision for space exploration, one that the President has failed to provide. Johnson Space Center would flourish with a declared mission to return to the Moon by 2022.

Opponent's argument against bill: Space.com: While NASA's proposed budget for 2014 unveiled this week reaffirms t