Technology

Tim recently asked readers of his blog to help provide me with guidance on the best way to make official legislative databases available to the developer community. The question, which also made its way onto Slashdot, led to a wealth of proposals, some of which I am considering developing into new legislation. Following on the success of that initial conversation, I’d like to ask for your guidance once again.

How can Congress take advantage of web 2.0 technologies to transform the relationship between citizens and government? Instead of viewing the public as a customer for services, I believe that we should empower citizens to become our partners in shaping the future of our nation. Read more...

The layoffs announced by Caterpillar today proves the promises that CAT would not proceed with planned layoffs and rehire workers if the so-called economic stimulus plan passed were inaccurate.

Congress did pass the stimulus bill and the President got everything he wanted from Congress. Yet, these additional layoffs confirm CAT workers were misused by the Administration as justification for the stimulus bill. Read more...

Every day the men and women of the United States military and their families are making sacrifices as they serve our country. We have an obligation to honor that sacrifice, which is why I strongly believe we must ensure our military families are not excluded from critical nutrition programs if a family member is deployed and begins to receive combat pay.

The bill I have introduced with two of my colleagues would exclude combat pay from income used to determine a family's eligibility for programs such as the school lunch and breakfast programs, Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program, or day care assistance, if a family member is deployed to a combat zone. Passing this legislation would ensure military families will not lose access to these critical programs when a loved one is called to the front lines of battle. Read more...

Embryonic stem cell research holds great promise for many millions of people around the world -- patients, their families, physicians, and scientists. For example, the National Institute on Aging has reported that more than a half-million Americans have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Approximately 250,000 to 400,000 people have spinal cord injuries in the United States, according to the Shepherd Center. Statistics from the American Diabetes Association suggest that 23.6 million U.S. children and adults have some form of diabetes.

American scientists should be leaders and not stragglers in the race to improve quality-of-life for patients with neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, stroke, burns, heart disease, arthritis, or even organ failure. President Barack Obama*s decision to lift the 2001 ban that had severely restricted stem cell research, coupled with his emphasis on the need for strong ethical guidelines to govern all such efforts, will help to position the United States as a leader in fundamental research and ultimately in the quest for crucial medical breakthroughs. Read more...

President Barack Obama’s executive order lifting restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research is a welcome move. Here’s hoping today’s action represents a new day in the relationship between the federal government and science.

I’m optimistic that eight years of sectarian meddling in medical research is coming to an end. We never should have had this fight in the first place. Public policy should be based on science, not the narrow prescriptions of any denomination’s theology. Read more...

That thudding sound you may have heard during economic stimulus debate in Congress didn’t just come from Rep. John Boehner flinging the 1,000+ page bill to the floor of the House chamber. It was also from countless lawmakers and staffers passing out face-first while trying to digest the thousand plus page conference report that was released before the House began debating it. The rush to pass the stimulus bill was not a rare occasion in Congress. In fact, many of the most important and controversial bills are rushed through Congress and members of Congress are left wondering what, exactly, they just voted on. Read more...

We live in an age where online communication thrives. The Internet has created countless new opportunities for commerce and communication. With that progress, unfortunately, comes exploitation by some, including criminals looking to do harm. For example, sexual predators are using social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook to identify and target victims – particularly young children. Just this month, MySpace announced that about 90,000 sex offenders had been identified and removed from their website. That is no doubt a positive step, but we know from experience that child predators and child pornographers will find other means to exploit children.

To strengthen penalties against these predators and enhance safety measures in place to protect our children, I joined forces with my colleague on the House side, Congressman Lamar Smith, to introduce the Internet Safety Act. While Internet crimes like the distribution of child pornography are not new challenges, we recognize more resources and tools need to be available to further combat crimes against children. Read more...

Consumer technology is advancing at a break-neck speed.  If we’re lucky enough to get the latest cell phone, TV, or hand-held device, we’re left with two things to figure out:  how to program the new one, and what to do with the old one.

The truth is, a lot of us don’t know what to do with our electronic waste, or e-waste. Between 1980 and 2004, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated 2 billion electronic products were sold in the U.S.; of these, a little more than half are still in use and 42 percent were disposed of.  About 11 percent of the disposed products were recycled, and 9 percent were collecting dust in our closets, attics, and junk drawers. Read more...

Each year, individuals, families, and small business owners all across the United States are experiencing increasing health care costs. Even at the physician level, skyrocketing medical malpractice insurances rates have forced many physicians to close their practices, limiting the availability of quality physicians to patients. It is clear we need significant healthcare reform in this country to provide a better quality of care at lower costs to everyone from children to the elderly.

Consider the following: According to a study done by the Institute of Medicine, between 44,000 and 98,000 individuals are killed every year in the United States due to medical errors, and these errors could cost the United States upward of $79 billion each year. If we have the opportunity to significantly decrease the number of these medical errors, resulting in lives saved and reduced health care costs, wouldn’t we take it? Read more...

Here at the Sunlight Foundation, we’ve long advocated that Congress post all legislation online for at least 72 hours before it votes up or down. The House and Senate don’t currently have a formal requirement to do so. But now, with Congress rushing to pass the $800 billion plus Stimulus Bill, the need for opening up the process could not be clearer. The bill’s size and importance should demand a measured and transparent process. Lawmakers and citizens alike should have at least 72 hours of online access to this massive spending bill before its final consideration. Read more...