Bill Nelson: “The Senator from Vermont has provided an excellent example of the problem that we are trying to address. And that is why…”

“The Senator from Vermont has provided an excellent example of the problem that we are trying to address. And that is why I have sought, with the help of the Senator from Vermont and the Senator from Utah, to include provisions in this legislation that make clear our intent to treat the use of spam to commit large-scale criminal activity as the organized crime that it is. We do this in two ways: First, by working with the U.S. Sentencing Commission toward enhanced sentences for those who use spam or other unsolicited bulk email to commit fraud, identity theft, obscenity, child pornography, or the sexual exploitation of children. Second, we make the seriousness of our intentions clear by urging prosecutors to use all tools at their disposal to bring down the criminal enterprises that are facilitated by the use of spam. Among other things, we are talking about the RICO statute, which not only comes with some of the stiffest penalties in the criminal code, but also allows for the seizure of the assets of criminal organizations, and for civil suits brought by injured parties. It is tough enforcement like this that will help bring the worst of the spammers to their knees.”