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   (Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

   Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, broadband Internet access promises to revolutionize the way Americans live, play, and learn. However, only 2 percent of Americans have access to broadband communications.

   Today, consumers must settle for slow Internet access. Most of us have experienced the worldwide wait of too many consumers trying to get on and surf the Net at the same time through slow dial-up connections overloading the system.

   Is there anything Congress can do to clear the traffic jam? Yes. Congress can pass H.R. 2420, the Internet Freedom and Broadband Deployment Act of 1999. That will encourage companies to build out the Internet backbone and allow the benefits of broadband to flow freely to all consumers rather than the current trickle down to a lucky few.

   H.R. 2420 will remove the regulatory barriers erected by the FCC that are hindering the deployment of broadband services by the Bell companies. These companies should be encouraged, instead of discouraged, to invest in broadband services.

   This legislation already enjoys broad bipartisan support. I urge all of my colleagues to cosponsor H.R. 2420 today.

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