CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE November 16, 1999 Here on This Floor
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29838 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE November 16, 1999 here on this Floor. If we give China Gates and his company were applauded ory of tying. Now, if some competitor most-favored-nation status on a perma- for bringing yet more new wonderful comes along with a better browser, nent basis, then we will not be able to technology that will benefit all people frankly Microsoft can rapidly find react in any meaningful way. in this world. itself at the losing end of that competi- Madam Speaker, I have come to this Mr. Gates is a man who had a dream, tion, and there is no reason or ration- Floor three times, to vote in favor of a focus, a passion, an intelligence, and ale to apply the theory of tying one giving China most-favored-nation sta- the savvy which for 25 short years has product with another in the computer tus one more year, and a second year, revolutionized the computer industry. world; as Professor George Priest has and a third year, because I am not Today, because of Bill Gates and his so aptly stated. As such, the tradi- ready to use our most powerful weapon colleagues in the computer industry, tional tying theory, Professor Priest in the Chinese-U.S. trade relationship people like me, my family, my grand- argues, may be irrelevant in this case at this time. But it is a long way be- mother, my wife’s father, Hoosiers all because it simply did not apply to com- tween saying we are not willing to use over Indiana, and Americans every- puters. that weapon and that we want to en- where can simply flick a switch and Madam Speaker, I would hope that gage in unilateral disarmament. play video games against each other, my colleagues would pay attention to f access the same documents thousands this and make sure that this Justice CONCERNING THE UNWARRANTED of miles apart, and view real-time Department does not end up putting a REGULATIONS TO BE IMPOSED video images of their children, their damper on the innovation and techno- ON MICROSOFT grandchildren, and their family. logical growth that has made this Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the enor- country great. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a mous contribution that Microsoft has previous order of the House, the gen- f made towards making the United tleman from Indiana (Mr. MCINTOSH) is States of America the technological NORTHWEST TERRITORY OF THE recognized for 5 minutes. GREAT LAKES HERITAGE AREA Mr. MCINTOSH. Madam Speaker, I leader, and I am proud that a young The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a rise today to comment briefly on the man who served on this House floor 27 previous order of the House, the gen- findings of fact that were issued on Fri- years ago, Bill Gates, had the freedom day, November 5, in the United States and the opportunity to succeed so that tleman from Indiana (Mr. SOUDER) is District Court by Judge Penfield Jack- a magnificent country such as ours recognized for 5 minutes. son in the Microsoft case. could benefit from someone who pur- Mr. SOUDER. Madam Speaker, as a Madam Speaker, this week we cele- sued that American dream. member of the Subcommittee on Na- brate the tenth anniversary of a great Now, what does this decision say to tional Parks and Public Lands, and as moment in time when the Berlin Wall the next young man or woman who a representative of historic Ft. Wayne, that divided Europe for generations wants to be Bill Gates? Who wants to Indiana, I rise this evening to intro- came tumbling down. I was a young create their own Microsoft? What does duce a bill to create the Northwest lawyer in the White House staff with it say to our children in the 20-some- Territory of the Great Lakes Heritage Vice President Quayle in the fall of thing years that have an idea and want Area. I am pleased to be joined by 1989, and I will never forget the sense of to see it succeed? To me it says if one original cosponsors, these Members joy that I had in watching that accom- succeeds, then the government will representing both political parties plishment. come after them and will stifle their from not only Indiana but the Old When the Berlin Wall was torn down, success. Northwest States of Ohio, Illinois, the spirit of free enterprise flowed like There are two central flaws in this Michigan, and Wisconsin: The gen- a river, irrigating economic wasteland opinion, this finding of facts. First is tleman from Illinois (Mr. HASTERT), that had been Communist East Ger- the finding that Microsoft’s develop- the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. KAP- many. How ironic, Madam Speaker, ment of the Windows operating system TUR), the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. that at the same time that we are cele- has created an ‘‘applications barrier to GILLMOR), the gentleman from Illinois brating the tenth anniversary of the entry.’’ In this theory they broke the (Mr. LAHOOD), the gentleman from tearing down of the Berlin Wall, we are law by trying to preserve that so-called Ohio (Mr. LATOURETTE) the gentleman forced to watch the spectacle of this barrier, including trying to destroy from Ohio (Mr. BOEHNER), the gen- Justice Department attempting to competing products. In my estimation, tleman from Ohio (Mr. PORTMAN), the build up a wall around a pioneering Microsoft has simply acted as any very gentleman from Michigan (Mr. STU- American company that has helped to rational competitor in the industry PAK), the gentleman from Michigan make our Nation the unchallenged would act, trying to forward their (Mr. BARCIA) the gentleman from Illi- technological leader of the free world. product. They have a superior product. nois (Mr. EWING), the gentleman from While Microsoft fights to protect its In most cases it appears to have been Indiana (Mr. ROEMER), the gentle- freedom in court, freedom to innovate in the interest of the other companies woman from Ohio (Mrs. JONES), the and to compete in the free market, this to have their products work with Win- gentleman from Michigan (Mr. HOEK- administration, the Clinton-Reno Jus- dows. STRA), the gentleman from Indiana tice Department, presses forward with For example, when they reached a (Mr. MCINTOSH), the gentleman from its zeal to erect a Berlin Wall, if you deal with America Online to distribute Ohio (Mr. SAWYER), the gentleman will, of government regulation around their Internet browser instead of the from Illinois (Mr. PHELPS), the gen- America’s most successful techno- Netscape browser, AOL did so not be- tleman from Wisconsin (Mr. GREEN), logical enterprise. the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Madam Speaker, this Justice Depart- cause of threats from Microsoft but be- ment’s zealous campaign against cause it benefited their customers. STABENOW), and the gentleman from Microsoft is the latest manifestation of They wanted to sell the product be- Ohio (Mr. OXLEY). The gentleman from Pennsylvania the liberal obsession with punishing cause it was a better product. And then (Mr. ENGLISH) who represents Erie, success. Here in Washington, because at the end of 1998, when they could of the tasteless class envy that many have ended that exclusive arrange- Pennsylvania, is also a cosponsor. of my colleagues on the other side of ment, they decided they wanted to ex- Though Erie was not part of the North- the aisle continually wage, Mr. Gates tend it. While Microsoft has been very west Territory of the Great Lakes, and other successful men and women aggressive in promoting its products, Erie, Pennsylvania, was intimately in- have been vilified. we do not punish aggressive competi- volved in our history, including being tion in America. the launching place for Commodore b 1930 But, Mr. Speaker, the more egregious Oliver Hazard Perry’s fleet to victory Yet in America, in the heartland of flaw in the findings is the reason that on Lake Erie and as the final resting America, at the latest trade show, Mr. it is based on a pitifully outdated the- place of General Anthony Wayne. VerDate jul 14 2003 10:04 Jul 13, 2004 Jkt 029102 PO 00000 Frm 00096 Fmt 0688 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR99\H16NO9.003 H16NO9 November 16, 1999 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE 29839 Mr. Speaker, many of the sites from Duties and powers include the ability (2) The distinctive landscape of this area the Northwest Territory period are to receive funds, disburse funds, make was largely defined by— now lost, but throughout the Midwest grants, hire staff, develop a manage- (A) the Ordinance of 1785, which estab- ment plan, and to ‘‘help ensure the lished a system of transferring land owner- there are still key buildings and sites ship from the Indians to the United States that have been preserved. As my col- conservation, interpretation, and de- Government and then to private owners, and leagues can see on this map of the velopment of the historical, cultural, created the system of land surveyance and Northwest Territory, this is the origi- natural, and recreational resources re- township and county plats which remains nal Northwest Territory of the United lated to the region historically referred today; States, including all of Ohio, Indiana, to as the Northwest Territory of the (B) the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which Michigan, and Illinois. And at that Great Lakes during the period from established a process through which self-gov- time, Illinois also included the State of 1785 through 1835.’’ ernment in this first frontier of the newly Madam Speaker, this may include de- organized United States could be established; Wisconsin and Minnesota east of the and Mississippi River.