Tech Policy Outlook

From The Washington Post Tech Policy And Security e-mail newsletter.

The Less Things Change, the More They Stay the Same


When it comes to Congress and technology policy, welcome to at least two more years of the same old thing. The House of Representatives certainly didn't disappoint pundits' predictions that there would be little movement in most districts. That means the House will continue to pursue a pro-business agenda on technology issues that seeks tax credits a go-go, free trade, intellectual property laws that favor the entertainment industry and laws that try to rein in spyware and other attempts to perpetrate electronic fraud -- as long as they don't put too much of a dent in the tech industry's revenue.

As for the Senate, the pending departure of Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (S.D.) after losing his race to Republican John Thune could signal a new approach to handling tech policy issues in the "upper house" of Congress. It's hard to say at this early date what that will mean for tech bills overall.

One item of interest: Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) probably won't have to put so much faith in persuading his moderate GOP colleagues to support him on controversial bills if the Republican majority widens. With a Republican House and the continued likelihood of a second Bush term, it would be interesting to see whether this would spur any action on the Internet tax debate.

– Robert MacMillan, washingtonpost.com Tech Policy Editor