[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S9629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            THE SENATE'S WORLD WIDE WEB SITE ON THE INTERNET

 Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, earlier this week a Washington Post 
editorial entitled ``Wiring Congress'' implied that the Senate has not 
embraced the idea of providing legislative information in electronic 
format. I am here today to set the record straight.
  This past fall, in one of my first initiatives as chairman of the 
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, Senator Ford and I 
announced the availability of the Senate's World Wide Web site on the 
Internet. This site, which is continuously updated with information 
about the Senate, is also the public's gateway to legislative 
information. Today, using the Senate Web site and linking through the 
Government Printing Office, the American public have electronic access 
to bills, resolutions, filed committee reports, and the Congressional 
Record.
  In addition, we are working hard to develop a centralized system that 
will allow committee chairmen to also post committee hearings and 
prints on the Government Printing Office access system.
  The Rules Committee has also been holding a series of hearings to 
address the issues concerning public access to Government information 
in the 21st century. I am well aware of how important it is that in our 
quest to provide information in electronic format, we do not lose sight 
of our responsibility to maintain a public record and to assure access 
to Government information for those who do not have access to the 
information highway.
  The Rules Committee is taking an aggressive approach toward ensuring 
the Senate--and the American public--have timely and complete access to 
all legislative information.

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