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Mike Quigley on Technology |
A: The federal government has the ability to be a massive driving force for scientific research and innovation. I've worked through my position on the House Appropriations Committee to ensure substantial and necessary funding levels for our national labs, like Argonne National Lab in Illinois, and basic science and research programs at the Department of Energy, EPA, NASA, NOAA, and other federal agencies that have a role in research and development.
Proponent's Argument for voting Yes:
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.
Congressional Summary: TIGER Grants for Job Creation Act: Congress finds the following:
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
A BILL to require the preservation of Presidential social media accounts. This Act may be cited as the "Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically For Engagement Act of 2017" or the "COVFEFE Act of 2017".
MSN.com explanation: @realDonaldTrump tweeted at 12:06 a.m.: "Despite the constant negative press covfefe". The tweet stood alone -- nothing before it, or after it. Trump deleted the tweet at some point in the 5 a.m. hour, but #covfefe is now a trending hashtag on Twitter. Most people took the "covfefe" to be a typo, although Press Secretary Sean Spicer told the media that the term was used intentionally: "The president and a small group of people know exactly what he meant," he said. Presidential records must be preserved, according to the Presidential Records Act, which would make it potentially illegal for the president to delete tweets. Spicer confirmed they should be taken as official presidential statements: "The president is president of the United States so they are considered official statements by the president of the United States," he said.
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].