Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 583, the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act, or PIRATE Act, a bill sponsored by myself and Mr. Bilirakis. This measure is a bipartisan, commonsense bill that passed the House last Congress. Mr. Speaker, first, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has worked on this measure. I thank Representative Bilirakis for agreeing to lead this effort with me in this Congress. I thank our former colleague, Congressman Leonard Lance, for all his work on this bill in the past. And I thank the New York State broadcasters for their dedication. For years, I, along with many Members of the New York and New Jersey delegations, have voiced our concern that pirate radio operators are a threat to Americans' public health and safety. Yet these lawbreakers are as prevalent as ever, and their actions have been met with few consequences. This legislation responds directly to that threat. The FCC has taken some positive steps to remedy this issue, but more needs to be done. In short, the PIRATE Act would increase penalties and restrictions on pirate radio. Whether a radio frequency is being used by first responders coordinating to save lives, or parents who want to keep obscenity and bigotry away from their children, for example, our communities are better served when broadcasters respect the rule of law.…”