Issue Position: Technology

Issue Position

With millions of Americans using the Internet growing by the day, Rep. Frelinghuysen has made it his mission to protect all consumers, of all ages, from online fraud and spam.

Frelinghuysen is also fighting for increased penalties against those who violate broadcast indecency laws and to protect the privacy of telephone users and their home and cell phone numbers from most unwanted telemarketing calls.

* Cosponsored the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act to increase penalties against those who air offensive and indecent programming on television or across radio airwaves.

* Succeeded in getting the Federal Telecommunication Commission to implement his "Know Your Caller Act," which makes it illegal for telemarketers to block their numbers from caller ID.

* Supported the creation of the "National Do Not Call List" for people to sign up and protect their privacy from intrusive, annoying, unwelcome commercial solicitations.

* Pushed for making the "National Do Not Call List" permanent, which occurred in February of 2008.

With Rep. Frelinghuysen's strong support, Congress passed an extension of the prohibition against taxing internet access in 2007. The extension runs through 2014 and bans on state and local taxes on Internet access, as well as the ban on multiple and discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce by state and local governments.

Rep. Frelinghuysen has also worked closely with the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to coordinate their education outreach.

* Rep. Frelinghuysen hosted Dr. Bement, Director of the NSF at Drew University, where he discussed science, math, technology and engineering with the students.

* Annually brings a NASA Astronaut to visit New Jersey schools and emphasize the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

* During the 110th Congress, Rep. Frelinghuysen served as the Ranking member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee. In this position he worked closely on technology issues with the NSF's whose mission is unique among the federal government's scientific research agencies in that it supports science and engineering across all disciplines.

* NSF currently funds research and education activities at more than 2,000 universities, colleges, K-12 schools, businesses, and other research institutions through the United States.

* Supporting the United States Patent and Trademark Office in protecting the work of American inventors and innovators.

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