Political Quotes

“The point that is being made with respect to broadband and that Senator McCain has touched on is if we now say the Alexander definitions go forward, broadband through DSL is going to be taxed. That is discrimination against the future. It is particularly burdensome for rural areas, the kind of areas I and the Senators from North Dakota and South Carolina represent. The fact is, you are not going to get broadband into small areas through cable. It is not economically efficient to do it. You are going to get broadband to rural areas through DSL. I am prepared--once we make sure DSL is not singled out for discriminatory treatment, as it has been in a number of jurisdictions in the past--to work with the Senator from North Dakota and others to get this matter resolved. Broadband through DSL is going to create a tremendous number of jobs. Brookings has said there are going to be hundreds of millions of dollars worth of investment that come about through broadband DSL. The Senator from Arizona is correct in saying we don't have the problem now with respect to broadband exclusively because of taxes. But I can assure my colleagues we will in the future see this problem compounded if broadband secured through DSL is singled out for special treatment. Under the Alexander definition, that would be the case. That is unfortunate.”