The Honorable Bill Frist
Majority
Leader
416
Russell Senate Office Building
Dear Senator Frist:
As President and CEO of the National Black Chamber of
Commerce, I am writing to urge you to support Senate Bill 150, with the
managers’ amendment. The National Black
Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian
organization dedicated to the economic empowerment of African American
communities. The NBCC represents more
than 64,000 Black-owned businesses with 201 affiliated chapters located in 40
states, and eight countries. The NBCC
also operates an informative website (www.nationalbcc.org).
The NBCC supports S.150 with the managers’ amendment,
because the measure promotes fairness and technological neutrality for all
providers of Internet access, which is consonant with the NBCC’s
goal of removing barriers to commerce. Keeping
the current language in place would perpetuate a competitive disadvantage among
providers by exempting some types of high-speed Internet access while other
types would be taxable. Higher costs for
products and services either provided or purchased over the internet will disproportionately
and adversely impact small, woman and minority–owned businesses.
Without
the managers’ amendment, S. 150 will define access to the internet in outdated
terms, because the current, flawed language does not account for the myriad
ways new and emerging technologies provide access to the internet. NBCC applauds all Senators who will vote
for this bill as amended and strongly urges you to join with your colleagues in
their efforts to keep internet costs down, spur deployment and promote
technological innovation. Should you
have any questions or concerns regarding the NBCC’s
position on this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at
202.466.6888. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Harry C. Alford
President &
CEO