Date: 1993-07-26
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today In support of H.R. 1757. the National Information Infrastructure Act. This legislation not only represents another milestone in the implementation of President Clintons technology initiative but is a critical step toward our future. As we close out the 20th century. many of us wonder what the year 2000 will hold for this Nation. Mr. Speaker. I. submit that part of that future Is contained here In this legislation. H.R. 1757 builds on existing electronic linkages. such as the Internet. to broaden access to information for school children. researchers. and health professionals. H.R. 1757 will expand the ways we can communicate. the manner In which our children learn. and the way businesses interact. . Today there are great disparities In basic educational resources that are available to lowincome communities and more affluent communities. The Education Committees of both Chambers are currently debating how to reallocate Chapter 1 moneys so that those with the greatest need receive adequate resources. The underlying issues of that debate go deeper than formulas and ratios and are manifested In concrete terms such as a _4stricts ability to afford new textbobks and library books. Another important component is teacher morale. A recent Department of Education study of the Chapter 1 Program found that students in highpoverty schools have less exposure to original works of literature and trade books and score lower in reading and math from anywhere between 27 and 32 percentage points than students In lowpoverty schools. Teachers in highpoverty schools are four times likelier than their counterparts in. more affluent areas to be absent. Many would argue that computers are not the solution to these problems and that there are more fundamental issues to be addressed. But I suggest that electronic networking opens up an entirely new realm of resources for these students and their teachers and must be factored into our vision of education reform. With the implementation of a national information infrastructure. the Library *of Congress will become instantly accessible to teachers both In my district and places like. rural east Texas. opening new horizons that otherwise would not be available. Furthermore. teachers and administrators nationwide will be able to communicate easily. discuss the many daytoday. challenges they face. and share creative solutions with their colleagues. H.R. 1757 has further implications for our health care delivery system. Authorized under this legislation are projects which would establish testbed networks to link health care providers and facilitate the development of technologies to manipulate diagnostic Images and explore new horizons such as virtual reality. With the development of the information infrastructure a physician could transmit an Image and case history to the leading expert in a given field and obtain his assistance in making a diagnosis. As we continue to be one of the most mobile societies on Earth. health care records In the future can be transferred electronically from a physician in New York to another In Seattle. Providers will also be able to access uptodate health promotion and disease prevention recommendations from the public health service. Over 150 years ago. the United States began the industrial revolution. a movement which defined the parameters of our society up until well into this century. Today. we stand at the brink of the information revolution. and we must support bold initiatives such as this one to shape the future in which we will live.