[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 59 (Monday, May 15, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H2970-H2971]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TECHNOLOGY, THE NEW ECONOMY AND DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL AMERICANS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 19, 1999, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate very much this opportunity 
today to talk about technology, the new economy and digital opportunity 
for all Americans, but let me begin by just sharing some statistics.
  Over 100 million U.S. adults today are using the Internet, and seven 
new people are on the Internet every second. 78 percent of Internet 
users almost always vote in national, State and local elections, 
compared to 64 percent of nonInternet users. It took just 5 years for 
the Internet to reach 50 million users, much faster than traditional 
electronic media. In fact, it took 13 years for television to reach 50 
million and radio, 38 years.
  The Internet economy generated, just in the past couple of years, 
over $300 billion in revenue in 1998. It was responsible for creating 
1.2 million jobs. Preliminary employment data now shows that the U.S. 
high technology industry employed 4.8 million workers in 1998, making 
it one of our Nation's largest industries, in fact, larger than steel, 
auto and petroleum combined. In 1997, the high tech average wage was 77 
percent higher than the average U.S. private sector wage.
  I am proud to say I represent the great State of Illinois, what some 
call the land of Lincoln. People often do not think of Illinois as a 
technology center, but it is. In fact, Illinois ranks third today in 
technology exports and fourth in technology employment. But clearly, 
Illinois is one of the top 10 cyber States, as some would say, a major 
State that is producing new technology and new ideas.
  I have talked with many over the years, over the last few years, in 
particular, about what it takes and why

[[Page H2971]]

this economy is growing so well in Illinois. And, that is, they say 
that government has actually stayed out of the way of the new economy. 
The new economy has been tax free, it has been regulation free, it is 
trade barrier free. That is why it has been so successful, creating 
opportunity for so many. That is why I am pleased that House 
Republicans continue to lead the way in technology. Our e-contract 
continues to work for a tax-free, regulation-free, trade-barrier-free 
new economy. And, of course, one of the areas we want to focus on is 
the area of providing digital opportunity for all Americans.

                              {time}  1245

  You know, it is unfortunate that it seems the higher the income, the 
more likely you are on-line. Families that have incomes of $75,000 or 
more are nine times more likely to have a home computer, and more than 
20 times more likely to have Internet access than a low or moderate 
income family.
  When asked why lower income families and more moderate income 
families do not have Internet access or a home computer, those 
families, those working families, cite that cost, the cost of the 
computer, the cost of subscribing to the Internet access, is a chief 
barrier.
  That is why I am so pleased that this week House Republicans once 
again are going to lead the way on technology. We are going to be 
moving legislation passed out of the Committee on Ways and Means, which 
I serve on, legislation to repeal a 3 percent excise tax on telephone 
calls, a tax that has been in place since the Spanish American War, 
over a century. It was a temporary tax at that time. Well, that 3 
percent tax is a tax today on Internet access, because 96 percent of 
those who access the Internet use their telephone to go on-line. Let us 
pass that legislation. I hope it has strong bipartisan support.
  I also want to call attention to my colleagues in the House to two 
important initiatives, legislation designed to increase digital 
opportunities so that every American family has the opportunity to be 
part of today's new economy.
  I am so proud that private employers have stepped forward to help 
solve the so-called digital divide. I have many educators that tell me 
that they find that children who have a computer at home compared to 
those who do not tend to do better in school. They notice the 
difference. They believe it is in the best interests of families when 
it comes to doing homework as well as research where you can access the 
Library of Congress via the Internet for children to have a computer at 
home.
  I am pleased that Ford Motor Company, Intel, American Airlines and 
Delta Airlines have stepped forward on their own initiative to provide 
home computers as well as Internet access as an employee benefit. 
Thanks to those four companies, 600,000 American working families will 
now have access to computers and Internet access. That means everybody 
from the janitor to the laborer to the guy working on the shop floor, 
up through middle management, up to the CEO, will all have access, 
universal access to the Internet, meaning their children will have a 
computer at home to do school work and research for school papers and 
school projects. That is good news.
  Unfortunately, many other companies that would like to do this, like 
to provide computers and Internet access to their employees, have been 
advised by their tax lawyers, wait a second; if you do, you are going 
to cause a tax increase for your employees because the IRS and Treasury 
Department will call this a taxable benefit.
  That is why the Data Act is so important. Let us treat that computer 
and Internet access as tax free, the same as an employer-provided 
contribution to your pension, the same as an employer contribution to 
your health care.
  Mr. Speaker, that type of initiative deserves bipartisan support.

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