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House May Give Special
Interests New Federal Right
to Create and Control Databases About You! H.R.
354, Collections of Information Antipiracy Act, creates a new
federal entitlement for corporate ownership of databases, along with harsh
new federal crimes policing the databases. H.R. 354 thereby creates an
enormous incentive for corporations to build databases of personal
information, and then sell those databases at enormous profit.
Why? In order to help a few narrow special interests, such as the
American Medical Association, which backs Clintons health care
legislation. The core constituencies of the Republican Party, from Eagle
Forum to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are completely opposed to this Act.
Yet H.R. 354 may even be brought up under the "suspension calendar,"
thereby avoiding debate and amendment.
What has Happened to Free-Market
Republicans?
Instead of respecting the current free database market, H.R. 354 gives
big-money entitlements to a few powerful players at the expense of small
businesses and innovative companies.
H.R. 354 preempts state laws guaranteeing individuals access to certain
medical and other vital information. The exemptions recently inserted into
H.R. 354, ostensibly to address a few of these concerns, are far too weak
to be meaningful. For example, H.R. 354 lists exemptions that include
access to public documents, but fail to include access by parents to their
childrens public school tests or medical records.
H.R. 354 turns every law-abiding citizen and small business into a
possible criminal. It empowers federal prosecutors to charge citizens with
felonies based on their access to databases over the Internet. It
authorizes federal prosecutors to charge small business owners with
felonies based on their use of data.
Many social issues, from education to health care, are now greatly
influenced by state laws governing data. Parents rely on access to data
about themselves and their children to protect against liberal programs.
For years conservatives have fought for protections under state law to
have such access. We do not want federal law preempting these parental
rights of access.
H.R. 354 will have many dangerous unintended consequences, and should
be publicly debated before it is voted on.
Further reading: Phyllis
Schlafly Testifies About
Databases. ACTION ITEM:
Call and e-mail your Representative immediately and urge
him to vote NO on H.R.
354.
All Members can be reached through the Capitol Hill
Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
Members e-mail addresses and their |
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