We believe that state attorneys general along with the FTC should be the prime enforcement vehicle.

preserving the dynamism, the innovation, the economic growth that the Internet has been such a powerful instrument of has been absolutely a guiding premise of the work that we've done.

I think it's important--I mean, look, if you have that choice and transparency, you'd be better than you are today.

We would like to see more competition. Part of the reason to introduce a set of privacy principles, including transparency and control, is to create more of an active conversation between businesses and consumers.

I defend the American system of privacy and the commitment that we have in our laws.

We can't depend just on notice and choice. You know, that is part of the problem with the existing system.

But they're all going to be held to the same standard. The issue here is the individual American consumers' privacy.

the vast majority of Americans simply have no knowledge that their financial, health, and other personal information may be sold to data brokers

Well, that's what we're trying to give it. That's exactly what we're doing. We've been giving this careful consideration for 2 years now.

I think all of us know that consumers in the United States are very smart.

Do you not have faith in the American consumer, if they're given choices, that they can make those choices?

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate it. And I certainly appreciate this hearing.

Consumers choosing how their information is going to be managed is not going to affect what people are going to offer.

Why in this time when our constituents are saying the federal government takes too much out of our pockets and it wastes money that we don't have?

I would be interested to see what you found. I know what my experience was as a Tennessee State senator and how the program failed to live up to what the promises were.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Tennessee will be postponed.

Mr. Chairman, I bring this amendment forward tonight, just as I do every single year for these appropriations bills, because it is so important that we get the out-of-control spending here in Washington, D.C., under control. We all know…

Our constituents come to us and they let us know they are taxed too much, they are tired of it and they are frustrated with seeing the waste in our federal bureaucracies.