[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 101 (Thursday, July 1, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SUPPORTING DESIGNATION OF NATIONAL ESIGN DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 30, 2010

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, today marks the 10th anniversary of the 
enactment of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce 
Act. I rise in support of designating today as ``National ESIGN Day'' 
and commend Mr. McDermott for bringing this resolution to the Floor.
  Ten years ago the thought of filing your taxes electronically, 
renewing your drivers license, and filling out a mortgage application 
on your computer was one that many feared. There was uncertainty about 
the security of the transaction and how to verify who was on each end 
of the keyboard. We recognized then that we needed rules of the road 
that would guide us into the information society. We needed to create 
trust in this emerging technology called the ``internet'' if it was 
going to grow into what we hoped would be at least a new and efficient 
way to do business electronically in both the public and private 
sector.
  We stood at a crossroads ten years ago. We needed to eliminate 
obsolete barriers to electronic commerce such as undue pen and paper 
requirements and other practices that slowed down innovation. In March 
of 1999 I introduced the H.R. 1320, the Millennium Digital Commerce Act 
because I recognized that the growth of electronic commerce and 
electronic government transactions represented a powerful force for 
economic growth, consumer choice, improved civic participation, and 
wealth creation.
  Less than a year later, in January of 2000, the Electronic Signatures 
in Global and National Commerce Act was signed into law.
  As the information and innovation society is now fully integrated 
into almost every aspect of our lives, we stand here today to look back 
over the last ten years. Electronic commerce is now the driving force 
of our global economy. The level of confidence in the internet and the 
innovative tools it has created continues to grow. As we stood at that 
intersection ten years ago, we took our country and our consumers in 
the right direction.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 290 designating 
June 30th as ``National ESIGN Day.''

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