Douglas Alexander: “It is an interesting article. It is like a lot of other things. Just because we in Washington think everybody in America…”

“It is an interesting article. It is like a lot of other things. Just because we in Washington think everybody in America ought to have high-speed Internet access tomorrow doesn't mean they will take it, even if we give it to them. So then why should we give the telecommunications industry another big subsidy to offer high-speed Internet access to people who are already getting it free and won't take it? Finally, just in case Congress should, in its wisdom, decide to grant an additional subsidy to high-speed Internet access, the first thing we should do is make sure Congress pays for it and doesn't send the bill to State and local governments. The House bill and the Allen-Wyden bill, S. 150, which this motion to proceed is about, expressly violate the Budget Act which was amended in 1995 by the Republican majority, enthusiastically. And President Clinton signed it. Sixty-two Senators now serving in this body voted for it, and 300 Republicans stood on the Capitol steps in late September, early October, right before the election that produced the Contract with America and the first Republican Congress in a long time, and this is what we said: Our party, no money, no mandate. If we break our promise, throw us out. This is about the Congress keeping its promise.”