[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 23, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10795-S10796]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        INTERNET LEGISLATION AND THE RIGHT TO ADDRESS KEY ISSUES

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, going back to the previous discussion on 
the Internet tax issue that the Senator from Arizona raised, I want to 
make a comment about both the objection raised by the minority leader, 
Senator Daschle, as well as the bill itself.
  The bill started out being a very controversial piece of legislation. 
There was great disagreement on exactly whether and how to proceed on 
this issue. But I must say, the Senator from Oregon, the Senator from 
Arizona, and others have worked with a number of us who have had 
reservations and concerns about the bill. I think we have made a 
substantial amount of progress. I expect at some point it will get to 
the floor of the Senate here, and I will hope to be helpful on a 
compromise that I think does the right thing.
  I always said if the proposition is, let us not apply punitive taxes 
to the Internet, I am for that. I am for a prohibition against punitive 
taxes on the Internet. But the way it was described initially, I have a 
lot of concerns about that. There have been a lot of changes made on 
this bill and I think the changes made a lot of progress. I compliment 
the Senator from Arizona and the Senator from Oregon as we continue to 
discuss this. But I did want to mention one additional point.
  The Senator from South Dakota, Senator Daschle, was constrained to 
object. I know the Senator from Arizona understands well the concerns. 
It is not just about the issue of the Patients' Bill of Rights. We must 
also find a way to address this agricultural crisis in a satisfactory 
manner. If we do not, about 20 percent of the family farmers in North 
Dakota will not be in the field next spring. It is a devastating 
circumstance in the farm belt.
  So the Senator from South Dakota was saying we need somehow to 
protect our rights to address these key issues. I know the Senator from 
Arizona acknowledged that he understood that. I just wanted to point 
out, again, it is not anybody's intention to provide roadblocks. What 
we want to try to do is see if we can find avenues to address 
significant and real issues.
  Yes, the Internet bill will get here and I think get done at some 
point. But we need to protect the rights, as legislation brought is to 
the floor, to deal with the Patients' Bill of Rights and to deal with 
the agricultural crisis which is potentially so devastating to the farm 
belt in this country.
  I wanted to make that point clear to reinforce the comments made by 
Senator Daschle earlier.
  I yield the floor. I know the Senator from Oregon wishes to be 
recognized.
  Mr. WYDEN addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I will be brief. First, I thank the Senator 
from North Dakota for all the work he has done over the last few months 
on the Internet tax freedom bill. We are going to get there to no small 
degree because the Senator from North Dakota has worked so closely with 
us. I thank him for it.
  In the last few minutes, we have talked about two extremely important 
subjects: the question of a Patients' Bill of Rights and the Internet 
tax freedom bill. Both of these bills are extremely important to me. In 
fact, shortly after I came to the U.S. Senate in 1996, I offered one of 
the key provisions in the Patients' Bill of Rights with Senator 
Kennedy. It was legislation to ban these gag clauses, these ridiculous 
provisions in managed care agreements that literally keep physicians 
from telling their patients about all their health care options. These 
gag clauses are unconscionable. We received over 50 votes the first 
time we brought it to the floor of the U.S. Senate, at a time when 
people knew very little about the subject. I feel very strongly about 
the Patients' Bill of Rights and, hopefully, we can get an agreement, 
and I do think we can get an agreement that is bipartisan.
  I also want to say, Mr. President, how strongly I feel about passing 
the Internet tax freedom legislation as well. It is time for the U.S. 
Senate to begin to write the rules for the digital economy. The 
Internet is clearly going to be the business infrastructure in the 21st 
century. Usage is doubling every 60 days, or thereabouts, and it is 
clear we don't have any ground rules to address the critical issues 
that involve electronic commerce.
  If somebody in Iowa, for example, wants to order fruit from Harry and 
David's in Medford, OR, ship it to their cousin in Florida, pay for it 
with a bank card in New York and do it

[[Page S10796]]

through America Online in Virginia, what are going to be the ground 
rules with respect to taxes?
  What the Internet cannot afford is the development of a crazy quilt 
of discriminatory taxes with respect to this burgeoning area of our 
economy. That is why it is so important that the Senate move on this 
legislation.
  I will close by saying a word about the manager of the legislation, 
the Senator from Arizona. Throughout these many months, the chairman of 
the Commerce Committee, the Senator from Arizona, and his staff have 
worked very closely with me and have worked very closely with a host of 
Members of the U.S. Senate. There have been more than 30 separate 
changes made in the Internet tax freedom bill from the time it was 
originally introduced on a bipartisan basis.
  I want it understood that a bipartisan effort under the leadership of 
Chairman McCain has been made for many, many months now, involving 
Senator Stevens originally, with respect to the Universal Service Fund. 
Senator Dorgan has had a variety of issues with respect to treatment of 
the States. Senator Bumpers has had enormous contributions and 
questions that we felt had to be addressed, as well as Senators Gregg 
and Enzi.
  I am very hopeful that very shortly this week this legislation is 
going to be brought to the floor of the U.S. Senate, and I am very 
hopeful that it can be brought to the floor in a way that will also 
allow for the important Patients' Bill of Rights legislation to go 
forward.
  I have spent a considerable amount of my time since coming to the 
U.S. Senate on both of these issues, working on both of them in a 
bipartisan fashion. I think both of them are now ready for 
consideration on the floor of the Senate.
  I see the chairman of the Commerce Committee is here now and has 
another important bill to bring up. I will close by, again, expressing 
my appreciation to him for all the time that he has put in to try to 
get the Internet tax freedom legislation specifically before the 
Senate. I believe we are ready now, and certainly those Senators who 
have brought amendments to the chairman and myself have a right to be 
heard and they should be heard.
  I believe we are ready for an agreement that will protect the rights 
of every Member of the U.S. Senate and, at the same time, allow the 
Senate to go forward and take the first steps--it is going to be a long 
journey--it is time to take the first steps to writing some of the 
essential rules for the digital economy, the Internet, which is going 
to so dominate our lives in the next century.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. McCAIN addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I say to my friend from Oregon, he is too 
kind in his remarks. The fact is that this legislation was originated 
by the Senator from Oregon. I have been glad to assist and help in that 
effort. He has done the heavy lifting. I appreciate his kind remarks.
  I assure him that in discussions with the Democratic leader, with 
Senator Dorgan and others, I am confident that we will get this bill up 
and done in the next few days. I thank him for all of his efforts.
  The Senator from North Dakota mentioned the difficulties in North 
Dakota. North Dakota has gotten more than its share of natural 
disasters this year, including one man-made in the form of an airline 
strike that was very damaging to the economy of his State. I certainly 
believe that all of us are in sympathy with the agriculture crisis in 
America.
  Mr. President, I have been awaiting the presence of Senator Ford, who 
is going to manage on the other side. I am a bit reluctant to move 
forward, so I ask unanimous consent to proceed as in morning business 
for 5 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is 
so ordered.

                          ____________________