Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that in order to continue aggressive growth in our Nation's telecommunications and technology industries, the United States Government should "Get Out of the Way and Stay Out of the Way".

Whereas the technology and communications industries in the United States have historically been some of the most competitive in the world and devoid of burdensome government regulations;

Whereas cable, wireline, and wireless companies have invested more than $765,000,000,000 thanks to deregulatory policies adopted by Congress and the Federal Communications Commission between 1996 and today;

Whereas the United States has approximately 70,000,000 wireline broadband subscribers, more than Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom combined;

Whereas wireless auctions are the reason the United States has 35,000,000 wireless broadband subscribers, which represents an increase of more than 200 percent in a year;

Whereas the Universal Service Fund has, in recent years, been plagued with mismanagement, a bloated budget, and out-of-date initiatives;

Whereas public-private partnerships, like those piloted by organizations such as Connected Nation, have raised broadband subscription rates, especially in rural areas, by increasing both broadband supply and demand without having to rely on regulation;

Whereas the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued an average of 179,909 patents per year from 1999 to 2007, and in 2007 issued a total of 182,930 patents which represents a decrease of 6 percent from the previous year;

Whereas deregulatory policies and free-market competition consistently yield a higher rate of economic growth, a greater standard of living for all Americans, and an enhanced capacity for the United States to be competitive in the global marketplace;

Whereas the digital age not only expands an individual's reach and ability to connect with family and friends, provides new and exciting educational opportunities, and opens up the global economy to entrepreneurial initiatives, but it also exposes an individual to a myriad of new threats such as identity theft, scams, and other methods of online victimization; and

Whereas we should continually strive to advance this rapidly growing source of social and economic benefit to our Nation: Now, therefore, be it