OnTheIssuesLogo

Bobby Jindal on Technology

Republican Governor; previously Representative (LA-1)


$515 million investment in transportation & infrastructure

Louisiana has often spent one-time money on recurring expenses--tying the state to future debt and neglecting opportunities to pay down one-time expenses with one-time money. That's like using your credit card to pay your mortgage. We must make critical investments in our state's priorities, including investments in roads, levees, coastal restoration, ports, and other priorities critical to the recovery and the needs of our entire state. I laid out a plan earlier this week that calls for a $515 million investment in transportation and infrastructure to improve roads, bridges, and ports all across the state. This investment fully funds ALL projects in the state's Port Priority Program and will aid the repair of dozens of state and parish bridges to prevent their closure. An invest $25 million in the expansion at the Port of New Orleans will help expand the terminal capacity by 45 percent and enable the port to secure a long-term commitment from of one of the world's largest container carriers.
Source: Second Special Session Speech Mar 9, 2008

$209 million investment in new roads and expansion

We must also tackle highway congestion and our poor roads and bridges. Too many of our roads are filled with potholes and congestion. A $209 million investment in new roads and expansion will benefit several vital projects in Louisiana, including the expansion of I-12 in the greater Baton Rouge area and in Slidell, four-laning LA 28, expanding I-49 South along US 90 in Lafayette, and completing another segment of I-49 North in Shreveport.
Source: Second Special Session Speech Mar 9, 2008

$50 million for Pennington Biomedical Research Center

A critical investment is $50 million for Pennington Biomedical Research Center--a world leader in nutrition research. We must ensure that Pennington continues to be a place where miracle cures are discovered for the world and exciting new jobs are create for our people. Our investment in Pennington will help attract more skilled researchers and provide more than 1100 new jobs, resulting in more than $40 million in earnings annually, and generating an economic impact of more than $110 million every year.
Source: Second Special Session Speech Mar 9, 2008

Voted YES on $23B instead of $4.9B for waterway infrastructure.

Vote on overriding Pres. Bush's veto. The bill reauthorizes the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA): to provide for the conservation and development of water and related resources, to authorize the Secretary of the Army to construct various projects for improvements to rivers and harbors of the United States. The bill authorizes flood control, navigation, and environmental projects and studies by the Army Corps of Engineers. Also authorizes projects for navigation, ecosystem or environmental restoration, and hurricane, flood, or storm damage reduction in 23 states including Louisiana.

Veto message from President Bush:

This bill lacks fiscal discipline. I fully support funding for water resources projects that will yield high economic and environmental returns. Each year my budget has proposed reasonable and responsible funding, including $4.9 billion for 2008, to support the Army Corps of Engineers' main missions. However, this authorization bill costs over $23 billion. This is not fiscally responsible, particularly when local communities have been waiting for funding for projects already in the pipeline. The bill's excessive authorization for over 900 projects and programs exacerbates the massive backlog of ongoing Corps construction projects, which will require an additional $38 billion in future appropriations to complete. This bill does not set priorities. I urge the Congress to send me a fiscally responsible bill that sets priorities.

Reference: Veto override on Water Resources Development Act; Bill Veto override on H.R. 1495 ; vote number 2007-1040 on Nov 6, 2007

Voted NO on establishing "network neutrality" (non-tiered Internet).

An amendment, sponsored by Rep Markey (D, MA) which establishes "network neutrality" by requiring that broadband network service providers have the following duties:
  1. not to block or interfere with the ability of any person to use a broadband connection to access the Internet;
  2. to operate its broadband network in a nondiscriminatory manner so that any person can offer or provide content and services over the broadband network with equivalent or better capability than the provider extends to itself or affiliated parties, and without the imposition of a charge for such nondiscriminatory network operation;
  3. if the provider prioritizes or offers enhanced quality of service to data of a particular type, to prioritize or offer enhanced quality of service to all data of that type without imposing a surcharge or other consideration for such prioritization or enhanced quality of service.
Proponents say that network neutrality ensures that everybody is treated alike with regard to use of the Internet, which has been a principle applied to Internet use since it was first originated. Proponents say that without network neutrality, large corporations will pay for exclusive preferential service and hence small websites will be relegated to a second tier of inferior service. Opponents say that the Markey amendment forsakes the free market in favor of government price controls, and would chill investment in broadband network and deployment of new broadband services, and would reduce choice for internet users. Voting YES favors the network neutrality viewpoint over the price control viewpoint.
Reference: Communications, Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act; Bill HR 5252 Amendment 987 ; vote number 2006-239 on Jun 8, 2006

Voted YES on increasing fines for indecent broadcasting.

Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005: Expresses the sense of Congress that broadcast television station licensees should reinstitute a family viewing policy for broadcasters. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to provide that for violators of any Federal Communications Commission (FCC) license, if a violator is determined by the FCC to have broadcast obscene, indecent, or profane material, the amount of forfeiture penalty shall not exceed $500,000 for each violation. Sets forth:
  1. additional factors for determining indecency penalties;
  2. indecency penalties for non-licensees;
  3. deadlines for actions on complaints;
  4. additional remedies for indecent broadcasts; and
  5. provisions for license disqualification, revocation, or renewal consideration for violations of indecency prohibitions.
Reference: Bill sponsored by Rep. Fred Upton [R, MI-6]; Bill H.R.310 ; vote number 2005-035 on Feb 16, 2005

Facilitate nationwide 2-1-1 phone line for human services.

Jindal co-sponsored facilitating nationwide 2-1-1 phone line for human services

A bill to facilitate nationwide availability of 2-1-1 telephone service for information and referral on human services & volunteer services. Congress makes the following findings:

  1. The FCC has assigned 2-1-1 as the national telephone number for information and referral on human services.
  2. 2-1-1 facilitates critical connections between families seeking services, including community-based and faith-based organizations.
  3. There are approximately 1,500,000 nonprofit organizations in the US [which would be listed in the 2-1-1 service].
  4. Government funding supports well-intentioned programs that are not fully utilized because of a lack of access to such programs.
  5. A national cost-benefit analysis estimates a net value to society of a national 2-1-1 system approaching $130,000,000 in the first year alone.
  6. While 69% of the population has access to 2-1-1 telephone service from a land line in 41 States, inadequate funding prevents access to that telephone service throughout each of the States.
  7. 2-1-1 telephone service facilitates the availability of a single repository where comprehensive data on all community services is collected & maintained.

Introductory statement by Sponsor:

Sen. CLINTON: In the immediate aftermath of the devastation of September 11, most people did not know where to turn for information about their loved ones. Fortunately for those who knew about it, 2-1-1 was already operating in Connecticut, and it was critical in helping identify the whereabouts of victims, connecting frightened children with their parents, providing information on terrorist suspects, and linking ready volunteers with victims.

Every single American should have a number they can call to cut through the chaos of an emergency. That number is 2-1-1. It's time to make our citizens and our country safer by making this resource available nationwide.

Source: Calling for 2-1-1 Act (S.211 and H.R.211) 07-HR211 on Jan 9, 2007

Other candidates on Technology: Bobby Jindal on other issues:
Republican Presidential Nominee:
Sen.John McCain

Republican Veepstakes:
Gov.Haley Barbour(MS)
Sen. Sam Brownback(KS)
Gov. Jeb Bush(FL)
Gov.Charlie Crist(FL)
Rep. Newt Gingrich(GA)
Mayor Rudy Giuliani(NYC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov. Bobby Jindal(LA)
Sen.Joe Lieberman(I,CT)
Gov.Tim Pawlenty(MN)
Secy. Condi Rice(CA)
Gov.Mitt Romney(MA)
Gov. Mark Sanford(SC)
Sen. Fred Thompson(TN)
Secy. Tommy Thompson(WI)
Democratic Presidential Contenders:
Sen.Hillary Clinton
Sen.Barack Obama

Democratic Veepstakes:
Gen.Wesley Clark(AR)
Sen.John Edwards(NC)
Gov.Bill Richardson(NM)
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families/Children
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Infrastructure/Technology
Jobs
Principles/Values
Social Security
Tax Reform
War/Iraq/Mideast
Welfare/Poverty





Page last updated: Jul 15, 2008