January 23, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 158, Pt. 1 149

Senate. Senator KIRK is such a decent, Last week, the Congress did what the the U.S. companies that direct traffic, proc- caring, and thoughtful man, and all of American people called for instead of ess payments, serve advertisements and lo- us enjoy working with him in the Sen- what the Washington insiders wanted. cate information online to end their support for the site in question. Copyright and trade- ate on various kinds of bills. Godspeed, That is what I call real change. It was mark owners would be able to follow up Senator KIRK, for a healthy recovery. a grassroots victory for the history those court orders by seeking injunctions We are thinking of you tonight and you books, and, as one commentator said, against payment processors and advertising are in our prayers. I am very glad the now we are in unexplored territory. networks that do not comply. senior Senator from Illinois has re- Here is why. Eight million of 162 mil- Cutting off the financial lifeblood of com- flected the concerns of everybody from lion who visited Wikipedia took action panies dedicated to piracy and counter- feiting makes sense. A similar approach to his home State tonight. to influence their Member of Congress; illegal online gambling has shown that it is f 7 million Americans signed Google’s technically feasible for payment processors petition to block consideration of THE INTERNET to stop directing dollars from U.S. bettors to PIPA; hundreds of thousands of Ameri- gambling sites anywhere in the world. The Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I want to cans called the Congress. In all, in just operators of the largest online advertising take a few minutes with Senator 1 day, more than 15 million Americans networks say they can do the same, although MORAN tonight to reflect on the events communicated with Congress and they object to the bill’s proposal to let copy- of the last few days with respect to the right and trademark owners seek injunctions urged it to reject the Hollywood pro- against them. Internet legislation. I want to begin by posal to censor and censure the Inter- The main problem with the bill is in its ef- thanking Majority Leader HARRY REID net. fort to render sites invisible as well as un- for reopening the debate on The 15 million Americans who took profitable. Once a court determines that a anticounterfeiting and copyright pro- action, who signed petitions, who pro- site is dedicated to infringing, the measure tection legislation. In pulling the Pro- vided their e-mail addresses and ZIP would require the companies that operate domain-name servers to steer Internet users tect IP Act from the floor, Leader REID Codes in a desire to be informed are away from it. This misdirection, however, has given the Senate an opportunity to now going to be watching us like never wouldn’t stop people from going to the site, get this policy right. The Senate now before. The 15 million who looked up because it would still be accessible via its has the opportunity to consult all of and spoke up are not faceless and they underlying numerical address or through the stakeholders, including the mil- are not anonymous. They are people overseas domain-name servers. lions of Internet users who were heard such as Frances Stewart of Maryland, A group of leading Internet engineers has last week. The Senate has the oppor- warned that the bill’s attempt to hide pi- Nancy Linton from Oregon, Debbie racy-oriented sites could hurt some legiti- tunity to ensure that those exercising Kearns from East Hartford, CT, and mate sites because of the way domain names their first amendment rights through John Jewett of Colorado, who gave can be shared or have unpredictable mutual the Internet, those offering innovative their names to Web sites around the dependencies. And by encouraging Web con- products and services, and those look- country. They are joined by millions of sumers to use foreign or underground serv- ing for new mediums for sharing and other Americans who were raising con- ers, the measure could undermine efforts to create a more reliable and fraud-resistant expression, have their voices heard. cerns for months before last week’s I also express my appreciation to domain-name system. These risks argue for Web blackout and supporting the fili- Congress to take a more measured approach Senator MORAN. He is an impassioned buster I announced here in the Senate to the problem of overseas rogue sites. advocate for job creation and innova- almost 11⁄2 years ago. tion on the Net—the first on the other These 15 million citizen activists [From the New York Times, Nov. 26, 2011] side of the aisle to join me in this were not the only ones saying the PRO- GOING AFTER THE PIRATES cause. My colleague, Senator CANT- TECT IP Act took the wrong approach. Online piracy is the bane of the Internet. WELL from Washington State, who is as The New York Times and the Los An- Still, bills proposed in the House and the knowledgeable as anybody in public geles Times—the hometown news- Senate have overreached. The legislation service about technology, and Senator needs to be tightened to protect intellectual papers for the content industry—both property without hindering online speech RAND PAUL, who is a champion of the wrote editorials saying the legislation and innovation. Internet as a place where those who overreached. I ask unanimous consent Forty billion music files were shared ille- look at the Net as a marketplace of to have printed in the RECORD copies of gally in 2008, according to the International ideas, stand together and approach pol- those articles. Federation of the Phonographic Industry, icy in an innovative way. There being no objection, the mate- amounting to 95 percent of all music downloads worldwide. Three-quarters of the Last week, tens of millions of Ameri- rial was ordered to be printed in the cans empowered by the Internet ef- video games released in late 2010 and early RECORD, as follows: 2011 were shared illegally. fected political change here in Wash- [From the Los Angeles Times, June 7, 2011] Musicians, moviemakers, authors and soft- ington. The Congress was on a trajec- POLICING THE INTERNET ware designers are not the only victims. Pi- tory to pass legislation that would racy’s cost is measured in less innovation A Senate bill aims to cut off support for and less economic activity, as creators lose change the Internet as we know it. It any site found by the courts to be ‘dedicated’ would reshape the Internet in a way, in hope of making a living from their creations. to copyright or trademark infringement. Its Still, the definition of wrongdoing in the my view, that would have been harmful goals are laudable, but its details are prob- to our economy, our democracy, and ‘‘Stop Online Piracy Act’’ introduced in the lematic. House is too broad. our national security interests. Hollywood studios, record labels and other Under the bill, copyright owners could di- When Americans learned about all U.S. copyright and trademark owners are rect payment providers like Visa and adver- this, they said no. The Internet enables pushing Congress to give them more protec- tising networks like Google’s to cut off busi- people from all walks of life to learn tion against parasitical foreign websites that ness to a Web site simply by filing notice about the legislation and then take are profiting from counterfeit or bootlegged that the site—or ‘‘a portion’’ of it—‘‘engages goods. The Senate Judiciary Committee has collective action to urge their rep- in, enables or facilitates’’ intellectual prop- responded with a bill (S 968) that would force erty infringement or is being willfully blind resentatives in Washington to stop it. online advertising networks, credit card to it. So everybody asked, come Wednes- companies and search engines to cut off sup- Accused Web sites would have only five day, what would happen? In fact, the port for any site found by the courts to be days to assert their innocence. And the pay- American people stopped this legisla- ‘‘dedicated’’ to copyright or trademark in- ment providers and ad networks could not be tion. Their voices counted more than fringement. Its goals are laudable, but its de- sued by sites that were wrongly cut off, so all the political lobbying, more than tails are problematic. their easiest course of action might be to all of the advertising, more than all of The global nature of the Internet has just comply with copyright owners’ requests. spawned a profusion of websites in countries If copyright owners could starve a Web site the phone calls that were made by the that can’t or won’t enforce intellectual prop- of money simply by telling a payment proc- heads and the executives of the movie erty law. Under S 968, if a website were essor that the site was infringing on intellec- studios. Their voices were heard loud deemed by a court to be dedicated to infring- tual property, the bill could stymie legiti- and clear. ing activities, federal agents could then tell mate speech.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 14:03 Feb 22, 2017 Jkt 019102 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR12\S23JA2.000 S23JA2 rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with BOUND RECORD 150 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 158, Pt. 1 January 23, 2012 The purpose of the legislation is to stop The government—but not private parties— the United States Chamber of Commerce and business flowing to foreign rogue Web sites can use the injunction to compel Internet the A.F.L.–C.I.O. The industry has made a like the Pirate Bay in Sweden. But these service providers to redirect traffic by not good case that some of the definitions of provisions could affect domestic Web sites translating a Web address into the numerical wrongdoing—like ‘‘facilitating’’ intellectual that are already covered by the 1998 Digital language that computers understand. And property infringement—were overly broad. Millennium Copyright Act. That act has safe they could force search engines to stop link- They said allowing property rights owners to harbors protecting sites, like YouTube, that ing to them. direct payment companies like Visa and ad may unknowingly host pirated content, as The broadness of the definition is particu- networks like Google’s to stop doing busi- long as they take it down when notified. larly worrisome because private companies ness with sites they deemed infringing—with Another provision would allow the attor- are given a right to take action under the no penalties if they were proved wrong— ney general to sue foreign sites that ‘‘facili- bill. In one notorious case, a record label de- could stymie legitimate online expression. tate’’ piracy, and to demand that domestic manded that YouTube take down a home They made the case that the proposal to search engines stop linking to them and that video of a toddler jiggling in the kitchen to make infringing Web sites ‘‘disappear’’ from Internet service providers redirect traffic. a tune by Prince, claiming it violated copy- the Internet by forbidding search engines Experts have said this measure could be eas- right law. Allowing firms to go after a Web from finding them or redirecting their Web ily overcome by users and warn that it could site that ‘‘facilitates’’ intellectual property addresses to other Internet domains was undermine an industrywide effort to reduce theft might encourage that kind of over- easy to get around and could potentially un- hacking. Legislators should also think hard reaching—and allow the government to dermine efforts to stop hackers from doing about the message it would send to auto- black out a site. exactly the same thing. cratic regimes like China’s, which routinely Some of the remedies are problematic. A The Internet companies now have the re- block political Web sites. group of Internet safety experts cautioned sponsibility to come up with a workable al- The House bill is right to focus on payment that the procedure to redirect Internet traf- ternative that gives owners of intellectual systems and ad networks to cut off the fic from offending Web sites would mimic property rights better tools to stop piracy by money to rogue Web sites. But like its Sen- what hackers do when they take over a do- Web sites located in faraway countries. ate companion, the ‘‘Protect IP’’ bill, it has main. If it occurred on a large enough scale These sites get some 53 billion visits a year, serious problems that must be fixed. it could impair efforts to enhance the safety more than Google or Wikipedia. Yet they are The bill should be made to stipulate clear- of the domain name system. outside the grasp of American law. ly that all of its provisions are aimed only at The focus on cutting the financing of on- This kind of blocking is unlikely to be very rogue Web sites overseas. Foreign sites must line pirates, which features in the House and effective. Users could reach offending Web be granted the same safe harbor immunity— Senate bills, is the right way to go. Sponsors sites simply by writing the numerical I.P. and the bill must not open the door to pun- of both bills have moved to delete, at least address in the navigator box, rather than the ishments for domestic sites that abide by the temporarily, provisions to make rogue Web URL. The Web sites could distribute free 1998 digital copyright law. And rather than sites disappear. The legislation could be fur- plug-ins to translate addresses into numbers encouraging credit card companies and ad- ther amended to narrow the definition of automatically. vertising networks to pre-emptively cut off criminality and clarify that it is only aimed The bill before the Senate is an important business to Web sites accused of wrongdoing, at foreign sites. And it could tighten guaran- step toward making piracy less profitable. a court order should be required before they tees of due process. Private parties must But it shouldn’t pass as is. If protecting in- take action. first get a court order to block business with tellectual property is important, so is pro- a Web site they deem infringing on their tecting the Internet from overzealous en- [From the New York Times, June 8, 2011] copyrights. forcement. INTERNET PIRACY AND HOW TO STOP IT We are happy that the drive to pass antipiracy legislation has slowed enough Online piracy is a huge business. A recent [From the New York Times, Jan. 18, 2012] study found that Web sites offering pirated that Congress might actually consider all its ONLINE PIRACY AND POLITICAL OVERREACH digital content or counterfeit goods, like il- implications carefully. Lawmakers can now licit movie downloads or bootleg software, For months, it seemed as if Congress would act wisely to create tools that can help com- record 53 billion hits per year. That robs the pass an online antipiracy bill, even though bat the scourge of online piracy without ex- industries that create and sell intellectual its main weapons—cutting off the financing cessive collateral damage. products of hundreds of billions of dollars. of pirate Web sites and making them harder Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, while the The problem is particularly hard to crack to find—risk censoring legitimate speech and 15 million are no doubt pleased, as I undermining the security of the Internet. because the villains are often in faraway am, that Majority Leader REID pulled countries. Bad apples can be difficult to pin But the unmovable corporations behind PIPA, they are waiting to see if we will down in the sea of Web sites, and pirates can those bills have run into an unstoppable force: an outcry by Internet companies led now retrench into the old ways of evade countervailing measures as easily as doing things—the old way where Sen- tweaking the name of a Web site. by Google and Wikipedia that culminated in Commendably, the Senate Judiciary Com- an extraordinary online protest on Wednes- ators went behind closed doors and mittee is trying to bolster the government’s day. wrote legislation with the help of well- power to enforce intellectual property pro- Lawmakers have begun peeling away from healed lobbyists, the old way that has tections. Last month, the committee ap- the bills, notably Senators Marco Rubio, the eroded the trust America has with the proved the Protect IP Act, which creates Florida Republican who cosponsored the Congress and the confidence that we new tools to disrupt illegal online commerce. Senate version, and John Cornyn, the power- are here on their behalf—or will the ful Texas conservative. They dropped out The bill is not perfect. Its definition of Congress instead construct legislation wrongdoing is broad and could be abused by after Wikipedia’s English language site went companies seeking to use the law to quickly dark and Google put a black bar on its home- in a transparent way that responds to hinder Web sites. Some proposed remedies page on Wednesday. our broad collective interests? The could also unintentionally reduce the safety The Protect I.P. Act would have easily American people want just that, and of the Internet. Senator Ron Wyden put a passed the Senate last summer if not for a they deserve it. Among the lessons we hold on the bill over these issues, which, he hold placed by Senator Ron Wyden, a Demo- should have learned from the events of argued, could infringe on the right to free crat of Oregon. The Stop Online Piracy Act, the past few weeks is the importance of speech. The legislation is, therefore, in introduced in the House in October, has also letting the public in on what we are limbo, but it should be fixed, not discarded. lost some of its initial backers. And on Sat- doing. urday, the White House released a statement The bill defines infringing Web sites as There are serious unintended con- those that have ‘‘no significant use other warning that it would ‘‘not support legisla- than engaging in, enabling, or facilitating’’ tion that reduces freedom of expression, in- sequences when Members of Congress the illegal copying or distribution of copy- creases cybersecurity risk, or undermines and staff think they have all the an- righted material in ‘‘substantially complete the dynamic, innovative global Internet.’’ swers and rush to construct and pass form’’—entire movies or songs, not just Though we are encouraged by legislators’ legislation. There are clear virtues in snippets. newfound caution about the potential con- prudence, deliberation, and even a lit- If the offender can’t be found to answer the sequences of the bills, Congress must keep tle humility. I believe that is what our accusation (a likely occurrence given that working on ways to curtail the growing busi- constitutional Framers had in mind for most Web sites targeted will be overseas), ness of foreign rogue Web sites trafficking in the government or a private party can seek counterfeit goods and stolen intellectual the Senate. an injunction from a judge to compel adver- property. I know my colleagues are waiting, tising networks and payment systems like The Internet industry was pitted against and I want to close with this. I harbor MasterCard or PayPal to stop doing business some of the best-honed lobbying groups, in- no doubt that this Congress on a bipar- with the site. cluding Hollywood and the recording studios, tisan basis can and should construct

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legislation to combat international Senator WYDEN and I, as he said, in- cant security risks and set America commerce in counterfeit merchandise tended to speak this evening about our back more than a decade. and content that infringes on copy- concerns about the PROTECT IP Act Second, both PIPA and SOPA would rights. There is no question that sell- prior to the bill being considered this create new liabilities because of vague ing fake Nikes or movies you don’t own week on the Senate floor. But because definitions in the bills that would drag is a problem that needs to be ad- of the actions of millions of Americans companies into unnecessary and pro- dressed, but it can be done in ways that in voicing their concerns about this longed litigation. We don’t need more do not threaten speech, that allow for legislation, it is no longer necessary legal battles. Congress should not put the legitimate sharing of information for us to throw procedural obstacles in in place a system that would force law- and protect the architecture and value the way of the PROTECT IP Act, and I abiding innovators to utilize their lim- of the Internet. I look forward to work- appreciate the majority leader with- ited resources in the courtroom to de- ing with my colleagues and a broad drawing his plan to hold a vote tomor- fend themselves rather than invest in cross-section of stakeholders to do row on this legislation. their companies, develop new products, that. Last week’s events in which we all and hire new workers. I have proposed an alternative with received so much input is a very good America is a country of innovation Senator MORAN and Senator CANTWELL reminder of what a powerful tool the that was founded on freedom and op- here in the Senate. Chairman ISSA and Internet can be. It was encouraging to portunity, and that has been true since Congresswoman LOFGREN have pro- see so many Americans get involved, the birth of our Nation when entre- posed exactly that kind of alternative particularly young Americans who preneurs have strengthened our coun- in the House. It is called the OPEN often choose not to be involved in the try and its economy by creating new Act. It is bipartisan. It is bicameral. It process. But they saw something im- products and sharing them around the would allow us to go after the problem portant to them, and they knew ex- world. Americans today still want the of these rogue foreign Web sites while actly how to communicate with elected opportunity to develop new products at the same time protecting what we officials. What became clear last week and to innovate in the marketplace. value so greatly about the Internet. was that Congress, in this issue and its Because of the power of technology, We are going to have more discus- far-reaching implications, was not ideas that were once only imaginable sions about this legislation and other fully yet understood, and so to take a have now become a reality. approaches in the future, but we now pause, to take a step back and to re- About 1 year ago, Google announced have an opportunity to get this right. consider the direction we were going that it was accepting applications from To a great extent, that is possible be- seems so appropriate to me. cities across the United States to de- cause of my colleague from Kansas who Congress has the responsibility to re- ploy a 1-gigabit Internet connection, has joined me in this effort, the first on main engaged and up to speed on all which is roughly 100 times faster than the other side of the aisle to step up issues, particularly those that so di- what most users could experience and join our efforts. I am very appre- rectly impact our economy. It is no today. Last March, much to my delight ciative of what he has done, and I look easy task given that technology is con- and the delight of many Kansans, forward to his comments. stantly evolving, but it is an important Google chose Kansas City as the Na- I also thank the Senator from Texas, task. Technology holds incredible tion’s first Google Gigabyte City. In Mr. CORNYN, for his courtesies so that promise, from strengthening education, fact, Kansas City was selected from Senator MORAN and I, because of our to delivering health care more effi- more than 1,100 cities that had applied bipartisan work, could make these ciently, to allowing entrepreneurs to and competed. brief remarks. Many people in the Kansas City area Mr. President, I yield the floor. develop products that have yet to be The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- invented. By remaining more engaged, were soon asking: What is actually pos- ator from Kansas. Congress will also be better able to sible with a gigabit Internet connec- Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I appre- enact public policies that encourage tion? What happens when you connect ciate so much the remarks of the Sen- Americans to innovate, create new an entire community with a gigabit ator from Oregon, Mr. WYDEN. products, and strengthen the economy. Internet connection? It was a significant moment in my Last week’s decision to delay consid- An organization called Think Big brief time as a Member of the Senate eration of PIPA was an important mo- Partners wanted to know the answer to when, 3 months ago, Senator WYDEN ment for many innovators and entre- those questions, so they put together a and I had a conversation here on the preneurs across America, and it was an competition called Gigabit Challenge. Senate floor about this legislation, outcome that my colleagues and I— The Gigabit Challenge was a project about PIPA and about SOPA and about Senator WYDEN and others—sought to based on an idea and a prediction. They the open Internet, and it was a moment see occur. It is important also not just predicted that when Americans are in which Senator WYDEN found me to entrepreneurs, though, but to people given access to cutting-edge tech- looking for ways in which I could be who are concerned about freedom and nology—in this case, one of the fastest engaged in the process of trying to cre- about the opportunity to use the Inter- bandwidths in the world—new innova- ate an environment in which entrepre- net to communicate, the opportunity tions, new applications, and new prod- neurship flourished in the United for free speech. And certainly we had ucts would be created. So they chal- States. concerns about national security. My lenged entrepreneurs and innovators to I had been discouraged or disillu- concerns about the PROTECT IP Act come up with products that will lever- sioned a bit by the lack of Congress’s can be summed up like this: Certain age this new network capacity and of- and the President’s ability to find ways provisions in this legislation will fered significant cash prizes for the to reduce spending and to balance the threaten free speech, innovation, and three best ideas. budget, and while I don’t intend ever to our national security. The response was overwhelming. Mr. walk away from those important I am adamantly opposed to legisla- President, 113 ideas were submitted issues, it became clear to me that an- tion that tampers with the Internet se- from 5 continents, 7 countries, and 22 other way we can reach a more bal- curity, specifically the Domain Name States. The list was eventually nar- anced budget is to have a growing System. Internet engineers have rowed down to 17 companies that pre- economy. I started looking at research worked for 15 years to develop a way to sented last week to a distinguished that would suggest how we get there. authenticate the sites we visit to make panel of judges. I had the opportunity When Senator WYDEN presented this sure they are secure and to enhance to join Think Big Partners in Kansas thought to me about engaging on this commerce on the Internet. At a time City last week for part of that event, issue, it was one that made so much when our Nation faces increasing num- and I was impressed, so impressed, by sense to me, and I am very grateful for bers of cyber attacks from abroad, what I saw. I congratulate the prize the partnership we have developed. PIPA and SOPA would create signifi- winners tonight who competed, and I

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One of the most important of existing Federal research and devel- stifle innovation on the Internet under- things Congress can do to encourage opment funding to support innovative stand the importance of this too. innovation is to make it easier for en- projects at American universities in Fostering innovation and promoting trepreneurs to start a business. order to accelerate and improve the entrepreneurship are not Republican or Last month, Senator WARNER and I commercialization of cutting-edge Democrat ideas they are American val- introduced bipartisan legislation called technologies developed through faculty ues. the Startup Act to jump-start the research. When more good ideas make What occurred last week is a re- economy through creation and growth their way out of the laboratory and minder to all of us in this Senate about of new businesses. Data from the into the marketplace, more businesses the leadership that is necessary. Again, Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City and more jobs are created. I congratulate Senator WYDEN for pro- shows that between 1980 and 2005, near- Fourth, the Startup Act encourages viding that leadership. With good lead- ly all of the net jobs that were created pro-growth State and local policies ers in Washington, DC, and with the in the United States were created by through the publication of reports on American people who understand in companies less than 5 years old. In new business formation and the entre- many instances better than we often do fact, new businesses create about 3 mil- preneurial environment in States. the value of entrepreneurship, of free lion jobs each year. I am proud that Kansas City leaders speech and an open Internet, great The Startup Act recognizes the job- recognize the importance of policies things can once again happen in the creating potential of entrepreneurs and that support entrepreneurs. Last year, United States of America. Our econ- is based upon five progrowth principles: area leaders declared that Kansas City omy can flourish and grow. First, the Startup Act will reduce the should be called ‘‘America’s Most En- It is so important that what occurred regulatory burden on new businesses trepreneurial City,’’ given their efforts this week, with the legislation not pro- and startups. to encourage entrepreneurship. ceeding, sets the stage for greater op- New businesses, which are almost al- Better policies at the State and local portunities for Americans across our ways small, face a tough challenge level will create more opportunities for country to have a dream, to pursue it, complying with the various rules and entrepreneurs to open businesses and to succeed, to spend their time pur- regulations that govern business be- put Americans to work. suing that dream, and in achieving havior. According to the U.S. Small Finally, the Startup Act will help their dreams they have the oppor- Business Administration, companies win the global battle for talent by tunity to create success for others. with fewer than 20 employees spend 36 keeping entrepreneurial-minded and I urge my colleagues to work with percent more per employee than larger highly skilled workers in the United me. Let us work together. Our country firms to comply with Federal regula- States. cannot wait until after another elec- For too long, our Nation’s immigra- tions. tion to get the economy growing again. tion policies have turned away Amer- The president and CEO of the Na- I yield the floor. ican-educated talent and sent highly- tional Association for the Self-Em- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- skilled individuals back to their home ployed, who endorsed the Startup Act, ator from Texas. said this: country where they competed against America. Rather than lose that talent, f The majority of small businesses are enter- prises of 1–2 people. . . . Cutting down on we need to keep those highly-skilled SENATOR MARK KIRK individuals and potential job creators some of the unnecessary red tape that new Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I join in the United States. businesses must face means that the owner my colleague from Illinois in express- The Startup Act recognizes the job- can spend more time growing their business, ing our concerns about the junior Sen- hiring employees, and helping to turn our creating potential of entrepreneurial ator from Illinois, Senator KIRK, who, Nation’s economy back around. The Startup and highly-skilled immigrants, and unfortunately, suffered a medical inci- Act would help address these regulatory bur- provides additional opportunities for dent, has had surgery, and is now re- dens faced by new companies. those who are here legally on a tem- covering in Chicago. We know once Reducing regulatory burdens means porary basis to stay if they have the again we are reminded that life is short entrepreneurs will have more time and high-tech skills our economy needs or and it is fragile. It could happen to any money to invest in their business and are willing and able to create jobs for one of us or our families or anyone we to hire more workers. Americans. Secondly, the Startup Act creates Highly-skilled workers will fuel care about and love. I know all of us tax incentives to help facilitate the fi- growth at technology startups and en- extend our sympathy and our well nancing of new businesses so they can trepreneurial immigrants will employ wishes to Senator KIRK as he begins his get off the ground and grow more Americans. convalescence and recovery from this quickly. Business and industry leaders across surgery and this medical incident that One of the greatest challenges for the country are speaking out about the he has experienced. startups is accessing the necessary cap- importance of innovation and entrepre- f ital to grow their business. The Start- neurship. Gary Shapiro, the President THE BUDGET up Act provides capital gains and in- and CEO of the Consumer Electronics come tax incentives to facilitate fi- Association, said this: Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I wish nancing the new business at its critical As a country we must do more to support to observe that tomorrow night the juncture of firm growth. Helping entre- and foster innovation and entrepreneurial- President of the United States will preneurs attract investment and retain ism, and the introduction of the Startup Act make his annual State of the Union greater share of the company’s profits is an important step forward. Address to Congress. This signals, of will lead to job growth. Dr. Robert Atkinson, the President course, the beginning of the annual Third, the Startup Act recognizes and Founder of the Information Tech- budget and appropriations process. But that innovation drives the American nology & Innovation Foundation what has not happened for too long is economy. echoed those remarks. He said: the Senate passing a budget for the Some of the best minds in the world The United States is at risk of losing its Federal Government. In fact, tomor- work and study at American univer- economic leadership and vitality and it is es- row, the same day the President will

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