Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for recognizing me. You have scheduled an ambitious markup schedule today, so I will keep my remarks brief.

First, I want to commend you and Chairman Tauzin for reaching across the aisle to achieve consensus on much of the telecommunications-related bills we will consider. The concerns that many of us had about the State preemption provisions in your "E-sign" bill, H.R. 1714, have been largely eliminated through bipartisan compromise.

Likewise, we have worked together on H.R. 486, the "Community Broadcasters Protection Act," to address the legitimate need of full-power broadcasters to make sure the bill does not threaten their ability to convert to a digital television platform as required by existing law.

In fact, I understand that staff worked late into the night drafting compromise language that will be incorporated today in a bipartisan amendment in the nature of a substitute. That amendment incorporates 10 of 14 suggestions made by the National Association of Broadcasters that are designed to protect against unintended effects on the digital conversion. Differences remain with regard to four issues, and I would like to offer my continued help in reaching consensus before this bill is considered on the floor.

Mr. Chairman, you and I will offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 1858, the "Consumer and Investor Access to Information Act." This bill would provide limited protection to database collectors against wholesale misappropriation of their work. But it would also allow the public to continue to have unfettered access to facts that are in the public domain. I know we agree that nobody should have a monopoly on the facts. This bill will make sure that does not occur. Facts will remain freely available for all to use, in accordance with longstanding American tradition and the U.S. Constitution.

On the final matter in the telecommunications area, Mr. Chairman, you have wisely decided to postpone consideration of the NTIA reauthorization bill to give us time to work out remaining areas of disagreement, and I hope that we will be able to do so.

Mr. Chairman, I am also pleased to support two other measures that are before us today. H.R. 2130, the Hillory J. Farias Date Rape Prevention Drug Act of 1999 represents a bipartisan agreement that will quickly and dramatically enhance the criminal penalties for the use of certain controlled substances in the commission of the horrific crime of rape. Many of these victims have died, including Hillory J. Farias. I especially commend the outstanding work of my dear friends and colleagues, Representatives Bart Stupak, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Fred Upton.

The Health Research and Quality Act of 1999, H.R. 2506, will help assure that the government’s role in assessing a host of quality issues will continue in robust fashion. Our hearing on this measure demonstrated a virtual chorus of praise for the work of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) and strong support for it to continue. AHCPR has become, and will remain, an indispensable partner to both the public and private sectors in assessing quality and other health care outcomes.

I am pleased to support these bills and urge my colleagues to do the same.