Sheila Jackson Lee: “So I ask my colleagues to work together and to pass H.R. 1695 to continue the process of modernization of the Copyright…”

“So I ask my colleagues to work together and to pass H.R. 1695 to continue the process of modernization of the Copyright Office and continue the collaborative work between the Librarian of Congress and the Register of Copyrights. There is no difference in the cooperation of decades before and, as well, there is no indication that that will not occur in the future. Both of them will have 10-year terms, and I believe that we will move forward on behalf of the American people. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the rule under consideration for H.R. 1695, the ``Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act of 2017,'' as amended to include the Jackson Lee Amendment. H.R. 1695, the ``Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act of 2017,'' if enacted, would change the selection process for the Register of Copyrights, who is the Director of the United States Copyright Office, which is housed in the Library of Congress. The Librarian of Congress, an appointed position subject to Senate confirmation since 1987, is currently tasked with modernizing the Library of Congress. This legislation is not about taking power away from any individual. In fact, Dr. Carla Hayden, the current Librarian of Congress, is by all accounts serving the various needs of the Library of Congress very well. This legislation and the Jackson Lee Amendment only further the Library's efforts to effectively modernize its copyright selection and approval process. Just as the Director of the U.S.…”