Michael Bennet on Technology Democratic Presidential Challenger; CO Senator

Boost transportation infrastructure spending

SEVEN CANDIDATES HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS: Joseph Biden, Jr.; Peter Buttigieg; Julian Castro; Seth Moulton; Bernard Sanders; Marianne Williamson; Andrew Yang.

A majority of candidates with expressed views on infrastructure funding are long on ideas for how to spend billions--sometimes trillions--of dollars, but short on where that money would come from. Silent, in fact.

Marianne Williamson's proposal includes accelerating electric vehicles and their charging infrastructure, rebuilding rail lines, updating clean water systems and "massively investing" in public transit.

Michael Bennet has said he will "work to" fix crumbling infrastructure, expand transit and airports, and build out rural broadband.

Withdrew support for policing websites for copyright.

Congressional Summary:Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act, or the PROTECT IP Act, or PIPA (in the House, Stop Online Piracy Act or SOPA) :

• Authorizes the Attorney General to seek a court order against an Internet site facilitating online piracy to require the operator to cease and desist further activities constituting copyright infringement, unauthorized trafficking of sound recordings or videos of live musical performances, or trafficking in counterfeit labels.
• Allows an intellectual property right holder harmed by a US-directed website used for infringement, to first provide a written notification identifying the site to related payment network providers and Internet advertising services requiring such entities to suspend their services.
• Requires online service providers, Internet search engines, payment network providers, and Internet advertising services, upon receiving a court order relating to an AG action, to carry out preventative measures including withholding services from an infringing website or preventing users located in the US from accessing the infringing website.

OnTheIssues Notes: SOPA and PIPA, proponents claim, would better protect electronic copyright (`IP`, or Intellectual Property). Opponents argue that SOPA and PIPA would censor the Internet. Internet users and entrepreneurs oppose the two bills; google.com and wikipedia.com held a `blackout` on Jan. 18, 2012 in protest. An alternative bill, the OPEN Act was proposed on Jan. 18 to protect intellectual property without censorship; internet businesses prefer the OPEN Act while the music and movie industries prefer SOPA and PIPA.