Donna Shalala on Technology

SMART plan: More federal funds for rapid transit buses

Republican Maria Elvira Salazar: All of these expressway authorities need a common goal to take to Washington. That hasn't happened.

Shalala: What I would want to do is to do the things first that we can do quickly that will relieve the congestion, such as the bus lane. Obviously, the bus lanes are important.

Salazar: I would love to see more of the rapid buses. We have this culture of getting into our cars. I think we should offer the citizenship different options.

Shalala: We have to bring back the federal funds. And, by the way, they're not federal funds, they're our tax money. The first thing I would do is just synchronize the lights. [The county is] doing it slowly because it doesn't have the resources to do it fast. I'm a big believer in taking the low-hanging fruit as quickly as you can.

Sponsored bill for net neutrality for open internet.

Summary by Vox.com: The US House of Representatives just passed a bill to bring Obama-era net neutrality rules back to the internet. This time, they want to make these regulations law so the Federal Communications Commission can’t overturn them easily. President Trump has said he will veto the bill should it make it to his desk. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the bill "dead on arrival in the Senate".

Statement in support by Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA-16): "The internet has a profound impact on America's economy and the social fabric of our nation. It is an important tool to connect individuals to each other and businesses with consumers, said Costa. "Ensuring a free and open internet, with equal access to all, is essential if we are to preserve the American dream."

Statement in opposition by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC-8): "If this legislation became law, the Internet would be slower, more expensive, less free and controlled by Washington," said Rep. Hudson. "This would hurt our rural communities the most. I'll continue to work to keep the Internet free from government intervention and open."

Statement in opposition by Rep. Don Bacon (R-NC-8): "Previous regulations led to additional expenses for 80% of providers in rural areas leading to delayed or reduced network expansion and services," said Rep. Bacon. "This bill would also lay the groundwork for the government for eventually taxing the internet." The internet is now operating under the same regulations that governed, and facilitated its expansive growth, from the mid 1990's until 2015. Some Democrats predicted that the return of those regulations would lead to limited access of the internet. None of those scenarios came true.

Legislative outcome: Bill passed House 232-190-10 on April 10, 2019, rollcall #167. [The 116th Congress terminated with no Senate action on this bill].