Ed Royce: “I would like to thank the cosponsors of the Digital GAP Act who helped me with this legislation, and the first among…”

“I would like to thank the cosponsors of the Digital GAP Act who helped me with this legislation, and the first among them is Ranking Member Eliot Engel, and then also Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Representative Grace Meng, and Chairman McCaul for their collaboration on this bill. The Digital GAP Act would increase Internet access with a relatively minor communications change. It would require that the United States- supported infrastructure projects are made transparent so that the private sector can coordinate their investments in Internet infrastructure. This is a commonsense approach that we should implement now. The Digital GAP Act also expresses the sense of Congress that the State Department should elevate and reform its efforts to address cyberspace policy internationally. As technological policy issues multiply and as they become more complex, it is important to identify clear lines of responsibility at the State Department so that problems do not fall between the cracks of the many different offices that touch on these issues now. Cybersecurity, Internet freedom, and Internet access are now core parts of our national security agenda and need to be treated as such by the State Department. Lastly, I will simply close by again recognizing the work of Nilmini Rubin on this legislation. She has been with the committee for over 3 years.…”