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Barret’5[Randy Barret; May 4; Washington Correspondent; MeriTalk, “ON THE HILL: House Gop Leaders Unveil High-tech Agenda.” LexisNexis]
House Republican leaders unveiled their high-tech agenda Wednesday with a list of items they say would boost economic growth and eliminate barriers to innovation. Included on the House Republican High-Tech Working Group's list of goals is ensuring employee stock options, extending the research and development tax credit, improving technology worker skills, patent reform, protecting intellectual property from digital piracy, telecommunications reform and promoting health industry information technology. The group also said it wants to pass legislation to curb the use of spyware, software secretly installed on a computer to track a user's activities, and the practice of phishing, which involves the use of official-looking but phony e-mails and Web sites. "Republicans get it when it comes to technology," said working group Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., at a press conference at the Capitol. Goodlatte was joined by House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and other Republican leaders. "House Republicans are doing everything we can to reduce hurdles," said Hastert to an audience heavily populated with high-tech industry lobbyists. DeLay bashed Democrats as "still stuck in the past" when it comes to technology. "They pay lip service but have no agenda," he said.