Floor Statement of Sen. Patrick Leahy, Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Comm., On "Launching Our Communities' Access To Local Television Act"

March 30, 2000

Mr. President: As a conferee last year on the satellite television bill, I worked hard to include, along with several of my colleagues, a provision that would have ensured that the benefits of that bill would also be shared by rural Americans through a loan guarantee program.

I appreciate the work of the Banking Committee under the leadership of Chairman Gramm and Ranking Member Sarbanes to report out a bill which provides a strong framework to move forward on this program. I am grateful that Majority Leader Lott and the Democratic Leader worked out an agreement with the Committee leadership that has put this bill before the Senate today. I also know that Senator Burns took an early leadership role in this matter. His colleague from Montana, Senator Baucus, introduced legislation with me last year and now has joined with me on some constructive amendments which I hope can be accepted.

I am here today, to again stand with rural Americans. I do not want to change the main thrust or the intent of this Committee- reported bill.

My amendments do not alter the structure of the bill, nor its key provisions. My amendments simply say that as the board does its job in approving these loan guarantees for local-into-local television, it should give a priority to those projects that also provide high-speed Internet access and emergency weather service reports to rural America.

If the Board must choose between two equally good applications to serve approximately the same number of households with local television via satellite, at roughly the same cost and similar levels of service, then I believe that a priority should be given to the applicant that will also offer high-speed Internet access to rural families.

"Computers are on a development path that improves performance by a factor of 10 every five years," according to Scientific American. However, without high-speed linkage of these constantly improving computers, rural America will be left behind.

In our country, there is a growing disparity between the digital "haves" and "have-nots," as portions of our society get left behind at the same lightning pace at which the Internet develops. Our amendment is one way to close this "digital divide."

Ignoring this on-line disparity is dangerous and self-defeating, for the Internet is becoming an important thread of our business and social fabric. What is even more striking is that according to the Commerce Department, the "digital divide" is actually widening in many cases. This should sound the alarm for all of us, and one we way we can respond is passing the Leahy-Baucus amendment.

The Internet is changing in ways that benefit only those with broadband access. Whether via satellite, cable television line or telephone wire, access to high-speed Internet will make all the difference in the world. The Internet will offer entirely new sets of applications for those with broadband access.

The applications just for medical training are astounding -- moving images of the latest laser medical procedures performed by the best doctors in the world -- all with simultaneous commentary and interactive discussions afterward. Instant downloading of entire volumes of medical research or texts, complete with moving images.

For the home, the applications are equally dramatic: instant downloading of textbooks purchased electronically with motion picture explanations of the latest developments in physics or microsurgery.

Broadband can provide opportunity to the handicapped, adventure to the elderly, education to all, along with numerous business opportunities and entertainment.

My amendment will ensure that as long as the loan guarantee is to be made, that high-speed Internet access also be financed under the loan guarantee program. I urge the Senate to accept this common-sense proposal.