[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 60 (Tuesday, May 16, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H3057-H3058]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     FIXING THE JUNK E-MAIL PROBLEM

  (Mr. GARY MILLER of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks).
  Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call on this 
House to pass legislation to fix the unsolicited commercial e-mail 
problem, referred to as ``spam,'' that is harming the Internet.
  Millions of unsolicited commercial e-mails, which contain 
advertisements for pornography, dubious products or get-rich-quick 
schemes are clogging up the computers of individuals, business systems 
and the entire information superhighway.
  The receiver pays for e-mail advertisements. Junk e-mail is like 
postage-due marketing, or a telemarketer calling your cell phone, or 
receiving a bill at the end of the month for all the junk mail you have 
received.
  The spam problem is increasing because there is an incentive for 
shady marketers to send as many advertisements as possible. After all, 
they do not spend more for sending one million

[[Page H3058]]

than for sending one. We need to fix this skewed incentive.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to especially thank the gentlewoman from New 
Mexico (Mrs. Wilson), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), the 
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and the gentleman from Virginia 
(Mr. Bliley) for their dedication and hard work on this issue.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back all the unsolicited invasive pornographic 
e-mail messages that invade your home and that we are forced to pay 
for.

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