Thank you. I thank the chairman for holding this hearing and what I hope will be a series of hearings on this very important subject of Internet gambling.

But we can deal with it much better if it is legal, if it is regulated, if it is understood.

We essentially have that kind of prohibition now. And we will have a better handle on the situation if we legalize it and regulate it than if we leave the current situation as it is.

There are millions and millions, tens of millions of Americans gambling online now after we passed a bill supposedly banning it.

I am going to ask unanimous consent to have this letter dated November 18th, 2011, included in the record.

The bill requires the relevant State agencies to, quote, ensure to a reasonable degree of certainty that the individual placing a bet or wager is not less than 21 years of age, end of quote.

Yes, I believe there is a need for that.

Both bills that we are talking about here today seek to prevent children from accessing gambling sites, and that is certainly a good thing and we can all agree on that.

We strongly urge Congress to correct this oversight quickly by permitting the $17,500 upper limit without deference to an in-state tuition rate for out-of-state Veterans seeking a higher education at public institutions.

Before I start, Mr. Speaker, let me just take a moment to comment about one of the previous speakers this morning, my dear friend, Congresswoman Barbara Lee from the State of California. Congresswoman Lee has been an advocate for…

Let me thank the chairman for convening this important hearing today.