[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 6 (Wednesday, February 4, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S386-S388]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. FRIST (for himself, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. McCain, Mr. 
        Hollings, Mr. Burns, and Mr. Kerry):
  S. 1609. A bill to amend the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 
to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 1999 and 2000 for the Next 
Generation Internet program, to require the Advisory committee on High-
Performance Computing and Communications, Information Technology, and 
the Next Generation Internet to monitor and give advice concerning the 
development and implementation of the Next Generation Internet program 
and report to the President and the Congress in its activities, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation.


           the next generation internet research act of 1998

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, advances in computer networking have led to 
some of the most significant developments of the last decade. We have 
all been touched one way or another by the Internet and the networking 
protocols that form the World Wide Web. Its presence is being felt in 
schools, businesses and homes across the country. Many people already 
come to rely on the Internet as their source for news and information. 
Now, electronic commerce is beginning to emerge as a significant source 
of network traffic, so it appears that more individuals are relying on 
the Internet for purchases as well.
  By any measure, the Internet is a success. It is a fast-paced living 
laboratory where every day brings new innovation and applications. The 
Internet's culture of rapid innovation stems from its days as a 
research vehicle sponsored by the Defense Advanced Projects Research 
Agency (DARPA). This original federal investment in university based 
research and development has grown to pay dividends to our country in 
the form of new technology, new jobs and economic growth. The Internet 
has also served as a case study in the proper role of the federal 
government in science and technology. Although the research was first 
sponsored by the Department of Defense, multiple agencies have come to 
play a significant role in the development and commercialization of the 
Internet. In particular, the National Science Foundation demonstrated 
how to successfully transition the management of an operational system, 
the Internet, from the public to the private sector.
  Today's Internet is a flexible, robust network, but already some of 
its limits have been reached. There are fascinating applications 
running in the laboratory that simply cannot be run on the Internet as 
it is today. Recently, I had a first hand look at a prime example: the 
virtual reality ``Immersion Desk'' collaboration. As a physician, I 
found it fascinating to take a guided tour of a human ear, seeing its 
structure in three dimensions, and able to interact with the guide and 
the structure in real time. It was immediately obvious to me the 
educational benefits that will come from putting similar devices in the 
hands of our nation's teachers and students. However, until the 
Internet's infrastructure limitations have been overcome, these 
applications will remain outside the reach of those who can benefit the 
most.
  Some of the limits that now impede advanced applications can be 
overcome through a straightforward application of existing technology, 
but there is an entire class of problems that requires new approaches. 
I believe that our nation's research and development enterprise holds 
the key. That is why I rise today to offer the ``Next Generation 
Internet Research Act of 1998.'' This legislation funds the agencies 
that are involved in creating advanced computer networking technology 
that will make tomorrow's Internet faster, more versatile, more 
affordable, and more accessible than today. The agencies funded by this 
legislation: The Department of Defense (DOD), the National Science 
Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DoE), the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Institute 
of Standards and Technology (NIST), each have a role to play in moving 
forward the state of the art in computer networking and network 
applications. The NGI program will provide grants to our universities 
and national laboratories to perform the research that will surmount 
these technical challenges and create a network that is 100 to 1000 
times faster than the current Internet.

  Today, many that are located in rural areas of the country such as 
portions of eastern Tennessee, find that high speed access to the 
Internet is too expensive and difficult to obtain. Researchers from 
select states enjoy access to high bandwidth Internet connections at 
costs that are sometimes one-eighth the rate of their rural colleagues. 
This legislation acknowledges this geographical penalty and encourages 
networking researchers to look at this problem as a research challenge. 
Emphasis must be placed on finding new technology that permits high 
speed information access without leaving large sections of the country 
behind.
  Mr. President, I believe that the passage of this legislation will 
continue the tradition of prudent and successful federal investment in 
science and technology. The Internet truly is a success story. One that 
could not have been written without federal support. One that has 
already paid for itself through the creation of jobs and technology for 
Americans. The last chapter of the Internet success story is far from 
being written, and with this legislation, we are helping to ensure that 
the Internet will reach its potential to provide greater educational 
and economic benefits to the country. I ask for support in passing this 
key legislative initiative.
  I ask unanimous consent that the full text of this legislation be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1609

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Next Generation Internet 
     Research Act of 1998''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       (a) Terms Used in This Act--For purposes of this Act--
       (1) Internet.--The term ``Internet'' has the meaning given 
     such term by section 230(e)(1) of the Communications Act of 
     1934 (47 U.S.C. 230(e)(1)).
       (2) Geographic penalty.--The term ``geographic penalty'' 
     means the imposition of costs on users of the Internet in 
     rural or other locations attributable to the distance of the 
     user from network facilities, the low population density of 
     the area in which the user is located, or other factors, that 
     are disproportionately greater than the costs imposed on 
     users in locations closer to such facilities or on users in 
     locations with significantly greater population density.
       (b) Definition of Network in High-Performance Computing Act 
     of 1991.--Paragraph (4) of section 4 of the High-Performance 
     Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5503) is amended by striking 
     ``network referred to as the National Research and Education 
     Network established under section 102; and'' and inserting 
     ``network, including advanced computer networks of Federal 
     agencies and departments; and''.

     SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

       (a) In General.--The Congress finds that--
       (1) United States leadership in science and technology has 
     been vital to the Nation's prosperity, national and economic 
     security, and international competitiveness, and there is 
     every reason to believe that maintaining this tradition will 
     lead to long-term continuation of United States strategic 
     advantages in information technology;
       (2) the United States' investment in science and technology 
     has yielded a scientific and engineering enterprise without 
     peer, and that Federal investment in research is critical to 
     the maintenance of United States leadership;
       (3) previous Federal investment in computer networking 
     technology and related fields has resulted in the creation of 
     new industries and new jobs in the United States;
       (4) the Internet is playing an increasingly important role 
     in keeping citizens informed of the actions of their 
     government; and
       (5) continued inter-agency cooperation is necessary to 
     avoid wasteful duplication in

[[Page S387]]

     Federal networking research and development programs.
       (b) Additional Findings for the 1991 Act.--Section 2 of the 
     High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5501) is 
     amended by--
       (1) striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
       ``(4) A high-capacity, flexible, high-speed national 
     research and education computer network is needed to provide 
     researchers and educators with access to computational and 
     information resources, act as a test bed for further research 
     and development for high-capacity and high-speed computer 
     networks, and provide researchers the necessary vehicle for 
     continued network technology improvement through research.''; 
     and
       (2) adding at the end thereof the following:
       ``(7) Additional research must be undertaken to lay the 
     foundation for the development of new applications that can 
     result in economic growth, improved health care, and improved 
     educational opportunities.
       ``(8) Research in new networking technologies holds the 
     promise of easing the economic burdens of information access 
     disproportionately borne by rural users of the Internet.
       ``(9) Information security is an important part of 
     computing, information, and communications systems and 
     applications, and research into security architectures is a 
     critical aspect of computing, information, and communications 
     research programs.''.

     SEC. 4. PURPOSES.

       (a) In General.--The purposes of this Act are--
       (1) to served as the first authorization in a series of 
     computing, information, and communication technology 
     initiatives outlined in the High-Performance Computing Act of 
     1991 (15 U.S.C. 5501 et seq.) that will include research 
     programs related to--
       (A) high-end computing and computation;
       (B) human-centered systems;
       (C) high confidence systems; and
       (D) education, training, and human resources; and
       (2) to provide for the development and coordination of a 
     comprehensive and integrated United States research program 
     which will--
       (A) focus on the research and development of a coordinated 
     set of technologies that seeks to create a network 
     infrastructure that can support greater speed, robustness, 
     and flexibility than is currently available and promote 
     connectivity and interoperability among advanced computer 
     networks of Federal agencies and departments;
       (B) focus on research in technology that may result in 
     high-speed data access for users that is both economically 
     viable and does not impose a geographic penalty; and
       (C) encourage researchers to pursue approaches to 
     networking technology that lead to maximally flexible and 
     extensible solutions wherever feasible.
       (b) Modification of Purposes of the 1991 Act.--Section 3 of 
     the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5502) 
     is amended by--
       (1) striking the section caption and inserting the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 3. PURPOSES.'';

       (2) striking ``purpose of this Act is'' and inserting 
     ``purposes of this Act are'';
       (3) striking ``universities; and'' in paragraph (1)(I) and 
     inserting ``universities;'';
       (4) striking ``efforts.'' in paragraph (2) and inserting 
     ``network research and development programs;''; and
       (5) adding at the end thereof the following:
       ``(3) promoting the further development of an information 
     infrastructure of information stores, services, access 
     mechanisms, and research facilities available for use through 
     the Internet;
       ``(4) promoting the more rapid development and wider 
     distribution of networking management and development tools; 
     and
       ``(5) promoting the rapid adoption of open network 
     standards.''.

     SEC. 5. DUTIES OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

       Title I of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 
     U.S.C. 5511 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end thereof 
     the following:

     ``SEC. 103. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

       ``(a) In General.--In addition to its functions under 
     Executive Order 13035 (62 F.R. 7231), the Advisory Committee 
     on High-Performance Computing and Communications, Information 
     Technology, and the Next Generation Internet, established by 
     Executive Order No. 13035 of February 11, 1997 (62 F.R. 7231) 
     shall--
       ``(1) assess the extent to which the Next Generation 
     Internet Program--
       ``(A) carries out the purposes of this Act;
       ``(B) addresses concerns relating to, among other matters--
       ``(i) geographic penalties (as defined in section 2(2) of 
     the Next Generation Internet Research Act of 1998); and
       ``(ii) technology transfer to and from the private sector; 
     and
       ``(2) assess the extent to which--
       ``(A) the role of each Federal agency and department 
     involved in implementing the Next Generation Internet program 
     is clear, complementary to and non-duplicative of the roles 
     of other participating agencies and departments; and
       ``(B) each such agency and department concurs with the role 
     of each other participating agency or department.
       ``(b) Reports.--The Advisory Committee shall assess 
     implementation of the next Generation Internet initiative and 
     report, not less frequently than annually, to the President, 
     the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation, and the United States House of 
     Representatives Committee on Science on its findings for the 
     preceding fiscal year. The first such report shall be 
     submitted 6 months after the date of enactment of the Next 
     Generation Internet Research Act of 1998 the last report 
     shall be submitted by September 30, 2000.''.

     SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Title I of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 
     U.S.C. 5511 et seq.), as amended by section 5 of this Act, is 
     amended by adding at the end thereof the following:

     ``SEC. 104. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       ``There are authorized to be appropriated for the purpose 
     of carrying out the Next Generation Internet program the 
     following amounts:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
               ``Agency                     FY 1999          FY 2000    
------------------------------------------------------------------------
``Department of Defense...............      $42,500,000      $45,000,000
``Department of Energy................      $20,000,000      $25,000,000
``National Science Foundation.........      $25,000,000      $25,000,000
``National Institutes of Health.......       $5,000,000       $7,500,000
``National Aeronautics and Space                                        
 Administration.......................       $5,000,000       $5,000,000
``National Institute of Standards and                                   
 Technology...........................       $5,000,000    $7,500,000''.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleague 
Senator Frist in introducing legislation to authorize the Next 
Generation Internet (NGI) Program for fiscal years 1999 and 2000. This 
bill funds the NGI program, which actually involves six agencies, at 
$102.5 million for FY99 and $115 million for FY2000. It would also 
require the Advisory Committee on High Performance Computing and 
Communication Information Technology and Next Generation Internet to 
oversee the program and report to the President and the Congress on its 
activities.
  As everyone in the Senate knows, I have been a long and ardent 
supporter of the Internet and Internet-related research. In fact, I 
would point to the current Internet as an example of what the 
government can do right. When the Internet was started, it was a 
government funded network for researchers and military personnel. It 
was expected to grow, but not into the commercially supported network 
with a $250 billion market base that it is today, and it is still 
growing. This rate of return on a rather modest government investment 
is something that any investment banker would love to achieve. An added 
benefit is that this modest government investment has allowed U.S. 
industry to become the world leader in most Internet-related markets.
  I also want to commend the Clinton Administration for their steadfast 
commitment to a clearly needed leadership role in charting the future 
of the Internet, and yet in also working closely with the affected 
industries, the academic community, and many others whose contributions 
to future applications and possibilities are almost endless. I am 
pleased to now work with Senator Frist, the dedicated chairman of the 
Senate's Commerce Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space, to 
provide a further foundation for this important work through this 
legislation.
  The current Internet is a victim of its own success. As more and more 
people come on-line, the network gets more and more crowded. People are 
beginning to think that the ``www'' in Internet addresses stands for 
``world-wide wait'' rather than ``world-wide web''. Therefore, I fully 
support the idea of increasing the speed, reliability and usefulness of 
the Internet. With increases in speed and efficiency of data transfer, 
hopes of distance learning with real-time video and audio, remote 
access image libraries, and more use of telemedicine, will become 
practical realities. In addition, with increases in bandwidth, I am 
sure that U.S. researchers will come up with new applications that we 
cannot even think of today.
  Do not think that it is a coincidence that all the applications I 
just listed have to do with remote access to data. The ability to give 
those that do not have easy physical access quick and reliable 
electronic access to resources is, I feel, one of the Internet's 
greatest benefits to society. As history has shown us, it would be 
extremely easy for a situation to arise in which there are states with 
NGI capabilities and states without, if there is not balanced 
representation in the decision-making process. Due to the increased 
computing power and ability to collaborate with other NGI network 
institutions,

[[Page S388]]

NGI states could have a large advantage over non-NGI states when 
applying for grants and participation. With this in mind, I am glad to 
point out that this bill formally addresses geographic concerns for 
rural institutions and users.
  As I stated earlier, I have always been a firm supporter of the 
Internet, and will continue to support research in this area. This bill 
authorizes an innovative inter-agency program to increase the speed, 
reliability and usefulness of the Internet. I encourage my colleagues 
to support this bill.
                                 ______