Republican Senator John Ensign of Nevada has been appointed chair of
the Subcommittee on Technology, Innovation and Competitiveness.
Ted Stevens, the Republican Senate Commerce Committee Chairman out of Alaska, made the
appointment as part of a committee reorganization.
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| Sen. John Ensign |
| Source: Senate.gov |
Ensign is one of the emerging technology leaders in the Senate,
along with Republican Senators John Sununu of New Hampshire and George Allen of Virginia. A former
veterinarian and casino general manager, Ensign is also chairman of the
Senate Republican High Tech Task Force, a separate entity that provides the
technology industry an avenue to communicate directly with Washington
lawmakers.
“Technology remains one of the fastest growing industries in the world and
exciting new developments are being created by America’s entrepreneurs every
day. There are major issues to be considered, and the subcommittee will be
at the forefront of some important debates,” Ensign said in a statement.
With telecom reform of some sort a top priority for the Senate Commerce
Committee, Stevens and Ensign are expected to be heavily involved in Voice
over IP
The USF is a 70-year-old federal subsidy program designed to promote
landline telephone penetration rates. The cost of the program is passed on
to consumers on their telephone bills. Currently, 94 percent of Americans
have a hard-wired telephone line.
With cable, wireless and VoIP companies providing alternative voice
platforms, questions have been raised about the future effectiveness of the
USF and what, if any, rates alternative providers will pay into the fund.
“Whenever possible, we need to remove government obstacles and allow
innovators to provide the latest and best products to consumers everywhere,”
Ensign said. “Our tech industry is greatly responsible for one of the
largest economic expansions in American history, and we need to allow that
free-market spirit to continue to thrive.”