Co-Chairs of Congressional Internet Caucus Urge Permanent Extension of Internet Tax Freedom Act
Today the Co-Chairs of bipartisan Congressional Internet Caucus urged House and Senate leadership to act quickly to permanently extend the Internet Tax Freedom Act before the August recess. The joint letter signed by Senator Patrick Leahy, Senator John Thune, Congressman Bob Goodlatte and Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo is here:
Bipartisan Group Presses for Floor Action on Permanent Internet Access Tax Moratorium Bill
June 19, 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Co-Chairs of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Internet Caucus are urging House and Senate Leadership to pass bipartisan legislation before the August recess to permanently eliminate new state and local taxes on Internet access. In a letter from Reps. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), as well as Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and John Thune (R-S.D.), the members cite an impending November 1, 2014, expiration of current law that since 1998 has placed a moratorium on the ability of state and local governments to impose new taxes on Internet access.
“The moratorium’s expiration poses a threat to many of the current benefits of the Internet for American citizens,” they wrote in the letter.
With the expiration approaching, the House Judiciary Committee passed with overwhelming support yesterday a permanent extension of the Internet Tax Freedom Act.
A copy of the letter sent to House and Senate Leadership can be viewed here. The following is the text of the letter:
June 19, 2014
The Honorable John A. Boehner
Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Harry Reid
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Minority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Speaker Boehner, Leader Reid, Leader McConnell, and Leader Pelosi,
We write to you as Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Internet Caucus to urge you to facilitate passage of a permanent extension of the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) prior to the August recess. First passed in 1998, ITFA placed a moratorium on the ability of state and local governments to impose new taxes on Internet access or to impose multiple or discriminatory taxes on e-commerce. The most recent extension in 2007, passed both houses unanimously.
The moratorium is in effect only through November 1, 2014, and all of us have sponsored or cosponsored bipartisan legislation to extend it permanently – H.R. 3086, the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act in the House, and S. 1431, the Internet Tax Freedom Forever Act in the Senate. The moratorium’s expiration poses a threat to many of the current benefits of the Internet for American citizens. The Internet ecosystem that has flourished under the moratorium currently provides:
- Affordable access to the Internet for consumers and businesses;
- A pathway to jobs, customers, and global commerce for citizens and “mom and pop” storeowners;
- A foundation for innovation in every sector of the economy, including education, health care, manufacturing, news, and entertainment; and
- A platform for citizen participation in civic affairs.
These benefits will all be imperiled by the expiration of ITFA and the potential imposition of thousands of new state and local taxes on Internet access, which would discourage broadband adoption and investment. We therefore urge you to support H.R. 3086 and S. 1431 and bring them to the floor as soon as possible to ensure passage of the bills prior to the August recess. This would ensure that millions of consumers do not receive notifications informing them that their Internet bills may increase in November. Extending ITFA permanently will provide much-needed certainty to consumers and businesses and will preserve the benefits of Internet access for all Americans.
Sincerely,
Co-Chairs of the Congressional Internet Caucus
Senator Patrick Leahy
Senator John Thune
Congressman Bob Goodlatte
Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo
###
Audio Podcasts of ECPA Reform and Internet Governance Available for Download
Over the last several weeks we have hosted two briefings on the Hill and the audio of both are available for download. Last Friday’s briefing explored “The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA): Should Congress Require a Warrant?” Two weeks prior our experts debated the Internet governance issue and whether the U.S. government had given up Internet control in a briefing titled “The U.S. Government Relinquishes Last Vestige of Internet Control: That’s A Good Thing, Right?”
For your convenience we have included links to the audio of those events. These podcasts can be easily accessed from your desktop or mobile device. They are really worth a listen
Internet Control / Internet Governance, 4/11/2014
Listen to Embedded Audio | Download MP3 Directly
Revising ECPA Privacy/ Need A Warrant , 4/25/2014
Listen to Embedded Audio | Download MP3 Directly
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Next Briefing: The U.S. Government Relinquishes Last Vestige of Internet Control: That’s A Good Thing, Right?
On a Friday in March the Obama Administration announced that it would relinquish its last vestige of control over the technical functions of the Internet. The Department of Commerce’s NTIA said that it will not renew its contract with ICANN to run key domain-name functions. The NTIA had been methodically shedding its control over domain functions for years. Yet, this final action of absolvement comes at a particularly volatile time for Internet governance.
Later this April the Brazilian government, incensed over the NSA surveillance revelations, plans to convene stakeholders in designed to explore “Future of Internet Governance” and to design a new model for Internet governance. While Internet Caucus Co-Chairs Senator John Thune and Representative Anna G. Eshoo each expressed support for an open, multistakeholder model for running the Internet many policy leaders in Congress are watching closely. There is concern that now that the U.S. has given up Internet control other governments will seek to usurp control over the Internet. We have assembled a a panel of experts who will discuss what this Brazilian Internet governance reboot means, what can be gained, and what might be lost .
Date: Friday, April 11, 2014
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm (boxed lunch will be served starting at 11:30 pm)
Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2226
Attend: Register via EventBrite here
Follow on Twitter: @NetCaucusAC #NetGovIC
Speakers:
- Fiona Alexander, Associate Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) (Bio)
- Steve DelBianco, NetChoice (Bio)
- Tom Giovanetti, Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) (Bio)
- Jamie Hedlund, VP Reviews, ICANN (Bio)
Note: More speakers will be announced on a rolling basis.
Past Briefings on This Subject:
Will the Brazilian Reboot Turn the Internet into a BRIC? January 28, 2014 [Audio]
Influencing ICANN: What Role Will World Governments Have Over Internet Domain Functions? March 21, 2011 [Audio]
The Future of the U.S. Government’s Role in ICANN, Internet Addressing and Internet Governance, October 1, 2009 [Audio]
Global Internet Governance: Should there be an enhanced role for the U.N.?, September 12, 2005 [Audio]
This widely attended educational briefing is hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (ICAC), part of a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization. Congressional staff and members of the press welcome. The ICAC is a private sector organization comprised of public interest groups, trade associations, non-profits, and corporations. The ICAC takes no positions on legislation or regulation. Rather, it’s a neutral platform where thought leaders debate important technology issues that shape legislative and administration policy in an open forum. We vigilantly adhere to our mission to curate balanced and dynamic debates among Internet stakeholders. Our volunteer board members ensure that we dutifully execute that mission. More information on the ICAC is available at www.netcaucus.org.
Video and Audio: Zillow.com CEO Spencer Rascoff Discussion Online Now
On March 27 the CEO of Zillow, Spencer Rascoff, participated in the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee Speakers Series in Rayburn over lunch. It was a fascinating conversation facilitated by Alexander Howard that probed the myriad uses of open data in the housing market. The video of that conversation is available on our YouTube Channel here. The audio of that conversation is now online at our event page. You can also directly download the MP3 file here. It’s really worth a listen.
The Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee Speakers Series brings Internet leaders and luminaries to the Capitol Complex where they can speak directly to Congressional staff and policy workers.
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We hope you enjoy it.
– Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee staff
This widely attended educational briefing is hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (ICAC), part of a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization. Congressional staff and members of the press welcome. The ICAC is a private sector organization comprised of public interest groups, trade associations, non-profits, and corporations. The ICAC takes no positions on legislation or regulation. Rather, it’s a neutral platform where thought leaders debate important technology issues that shape legislative and administration policy in an open forum. We vigilantly adhere to our mission to curate balanced and dynamic debates among Internet stakeholders. Our volunteer board members ensure that we dutifully execute that mission. More information on the ICAC is available at www.netcaucus.org.
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Announcing Our 2014 Briefings, Save the Dates
With the help of our Advisory Committee we have put together an ambitious calendar of Congressional Internet Caucus AC briefings during this session of Congress. We have posted the tentative dates and titles for these upcoming briefings on our calendar page here. We’ve also pasted them below.
We started the 2014 briefing season on January 17 with a briefing on the DC Circuit’s decision on the FCC’s Open Internet Rules — 75 hours after the decision was released. Like many of our briefings in 2013 it was televised on C-SPAN. In February we restarted the Internet Caucus AC Speakers Series featuring renowned Internet researcher danah boyd.
The “Speakers Series” brings Internet leaders and luminaries to the Capitol Complex to share their expertise with Internet policy leaders in Congress. Past “Speakers” have included Internet founding fathers such as Vint Cerf, Tim Berners-Lee and Marty Cooper as well as industry leaders like Bill Gates, Michael Eisner, Meg Whitman, and Kazuo Hirai. We are pleased that Spencer Rascoff, CEO of Zillow, will continue the tradition next week on March 27 (RSVP via EventBrite).
In addition to the scheduled briefings detailed below we will also react to unforseen developments in our space, presenting timely briefings to Congressional staff on an as-needed basis. Also, the planning group on Friday discussed hosting briefings on Anti-SLAPP legislation, Cyber-Security in the Telecom Supply Chain, and the Internet of Things. We hope to get to those topics as well, time permitting.
Thank you for your interest in the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee.
– Thanks
Calendar of ICAC 2014 Congressional Briefings
January 27,
D.C. Circuit Decision on FCC Open Internet Rules: Net Neutrality Win or Loss?,
Rayburn HOB Room 2226
February 27,
danah boyd: It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens,
Rayburn HOB
March 27,
Spencer Rascoff, CEO, Zillow, Speakers Series
Rayburn House Office Building Room 2237 12:30 pm
April 11,
The U.S. Government Relinquishes Last Vestige of Internet Control: That’s A Good Thing, Right?
Rayburn House Office Building12:00 pm
April 25,
Revising The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA): Should Congress Require a Warrant?
Rayburn House Office Building 12:00 PM
May 5,
State of the Net Wireless
The Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 200010 1:00 PM
May 9,
Collecting Internet Sales Taxes
Rayburn House Office Building 12:00 PM
May 16,
The FCC Is Auctioning Off the Public’s Spectrum: How Will It Affect The Internet?
Location TBD 12:00 pm
May 30,
NSA Surveillance Powers: How Effective Are They At Thwarting Terrorism?
Rayburn HOB 12:00 pm
June 13,
Copyright Law: Should You Be Able To Sell You Digital Downloads?
Rayburn HOB 12:00 PM
July 11,
NSA Surveillance: What’s The Global Impact On U.S. Commerce?
Rayburn HOB 12:00 PM
August 8,
K-12 Innovation and Student Privacy: Can They Co-Exist in the Era of Tablets, Big Data, and Cloud Storage?
Rayburn HOB 12:00 pm
August 22,
Rural Broadband: How Much Broadband Is Enough?
Rayburn HOB 12:00 pm
September 12,
Does the Internet Need a New Copyright Act?
Location TBD 12:00 pm
September 26,
Does the Internet Need a New Communications Act?
Location TBD 12:00 pm
The Internet Caucus AC Speakers Series Is Back! Zillow CEO Next
We are pleased to announce that our Speakers Series is back. The series brings Internet leaders and luminaries to the Capitol Complex to share their expertise with Internet policy leaders in Congress. Past “Speakers” have included Internet founding fathers such as Vint Cerf, Tim Berners-Lee and Marty Cooper as well as industry leaders like Bill Gates, Michael Eisner, Meg Whitman, and Kazuo Hirai. Renowned Internet researcher danah boyd kicked off the 2014 Speakers Series back in February.
We are pleased that Spencer Rascoff, CEO of Zillow, will continue the tradition.
Event details:
One of the pillars of the American economy remains the housing market. Over the last decade the Internet has increasingly made life easier and more transparent for perhaps the most significant and terrifying purchase an American will ever make — buying a home. Sites like Realtor.com, Redfin, Trulia, and Zillow have all contributed to providing more information to home buyers as they ponder their purchase. According to the National Association of Realtors over 90% of consumers will start their home search on the Internet. Zillow’s Spencer Rascoff will discuss the evolution of the Internet-enabled home purchase and how Zillow hopes to provide home buying services to American consumers. O’Reilly Media’s Government 2.0 reporter Alexander Howard will interview Mr. Rascoff during this event.
Date: Thursday, March 27, 2014
Time: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm (boxed lunch will be served starting at 12:15 pm)
Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2237
Attend: RSVP via EventBrite
Speakers:
This widely attended educational briefing is hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (ICAC), part of a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization. Congressional staff and members of the press welcome. The ICAC is a private sector organization comprised of public interest groups, trade associations, non-profits, and corporations. The ICAC takes no positions on legislation or regulation. Rather, it’s a neutral platform where thought leaders debate important technology issues that shape legislative and administration policy in an open forum. We vigilantly adhere to our mission to curate balanced and dynamic debates among Internet stakeholders. Our volunteer board members ensure that we dutifully execute that mission. More information on the ICAC is available at www.netcaucus.org.
danah boyd Talks Tech, Trends & Teens 2/27
Our next Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee briefing will be …
A Luncheon Discussion With Renowned
Internet Social Researcher danah boyd
We all use the Internet – but our personal experiences don’t reveal how others, particularly young people, are interacting with technology and each other, and the implications for society and policy. Please join us on Thursday, February 27 for a conversation with danah boyd, whose research examines the myths and realities at intersection of technology and society. Topics for discussion will include:
- What are teens’ views about private information and how do they think about and manage their privacy online?
- What are the differences between perceived and actual challenges in online safety?
- How are people using social media in support of civic goals? What is the impact of social media on social divisions?
- What social, technical, ethical, legal, and policy issues are emerging around “big data”-centric applications?
- What are the trends and characteristics of bullying in social media environments?
Date: Thursday, February 27, 2014
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm (boxed lunch will be served)
Location: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2226
RSVP: RSVPs are appreciated to [email protected]
Twitter: @NetCaucusAC
Speakers:
– danah boyd, Author, “It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens” (Bio),
– Stephen Balkham, CEO, Family Online Safety Institute (Bio) (moderator)
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About: danah boyd is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, a Research Assistant Professor in Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University, and a Fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society. Her research examines the intersection of technology and society. Currently, she’s focused on research questions related to “big data”, privacy and publicity, youth meanness and cruelty, and human trafficking. She has a new book called “It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens.” [More bio]
This widely attended educational briefing is hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee (ICAC), part of a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization. Congressional staff and members of the press welcome. The ICAC is a private sector organization comprised of public interest groups, trade associations, non-profits, and corporations. The ICAC takes no positions on legislation or regulation. Rather, it’s a neutral platform where thought leaders debate important technology issues that shape legislative and administration policy in an open forum. We vigilantly adhere to our mission to curate balanced and dynamic debates among Internet stakeholders. Our volunteer board members ensure that we dutifully execute that mission. More information on the ICAC is available at www.netcaucus.org.
FCC Open Internet Net Neutrality Briefing Live on CSPAN 3
CSPAN will televise our Congressional briefing on “D.C. Circuit Decision on FCC Open Internet Rules: Net Neutrality Win or Loss?” live on CSPAN3. Click here for the Internet live stream.
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Chairman Upton #CommActUpdate / Listen to NetCaucusAC Debates From The Past
In light of House Energy & Commerce Chairman Fred Upton’s announcement that Committee plans a multi-year review and revision of the Communications Act we wanted to share some content from our acrchives for background on the topic. Below are some links to Audio MP3 recordings of just a couple of #CommActUpdate debates from the past. The Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee has hosted balanced debates this topic for years and we look forward to the forthcoming exchange of ideas. Remember, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, who certainly has some ideas on this topic, will keynote the State of the Net Conference. Register now to save your spot and for an early bird discount.
Should Congress Rewrite the Telecom Act?
January 22, 2013, State of the Net 2013
Overview | Audio
This balanced discussion hosted at the 2013 State of the Net Conference speculated on what would prompt Congress to update or revise the Telecom Act. While many in the telecom space groaned at the thought of revising the Communications Act the idea struck us as important.
Did the Internet Kill the Telecom Act?
February 9, 2005, State of the Net 2005
Overview | Audio
Yes, this is from year 2005. Recorded before Twitter was founded. An oldie but a goodie. It features thoughtful perspectives from tech policy leaders who remain thought leaders today. It is adroitly moderated by Gerry Waldron who leads the panel quickly through a good historical discussion.
The ICAC is a private sector organization comprised of public interest groups, trade associations, non-profits, and corporations. The ICAC takes no positions on legislation or regulation. Rather, it’s a neutral platform where thought leaders debate important technology issues that shape legislative and administration policy in an open forum. We vigilantly adhere to our mission to curate balanced and dynamic debates among Internet stakeholders. Our volunteer board members ensure that we dutifully execute that mission. More information on the ICAC is available at www.netcaucus.org.
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