Labor
Tech Officials Once Again Seek H-1B Visa Reform
     Technology industry representatives said this week that foreign students graduating from U.S. universities with advanced mathematics and science degrees this spring "need not apply" for jobs here because of what the industry calls "broken visa policies." Visas for skilled foreign workers have run out in May in past years, but an industry coalition is predicting the cap will be met just after Easter this year. Compete America said the 65,000 H-1B visas available for fiscal 2008 will be gone in early April, shortly after the application process opens. The coalition favors a comprehensive immigration bill, H.R. 1645, that would raise the H-1B visa cap and make other changes to visa policies sought by industry. "Hitting the cap this early is unprecedented and creates a situation in which foreign students graduating from U.S. universities this spring are virtually shut out of the U.S. job market," a co-chairman of the group said.

Lobbying
Net Neutrality Strikes Right Chord For Some Musicians
     A coalition of musicians announced a campaign that they hope will rock the nationwide debate over the future of high-speed Internet networks. The "Rock The Net" campaign is being backed by musicians who want Congress to mandate network neutrality, or the principle that broadband network operators should treat all traffic equally. The coalition includes some high-profile artists, who will hold a series of concerts to raise awareness about net neutrality. Future of Music Coalition Executive Director Jenny Toomey said lesser-known artists would be denied opportunities to connect with audiences if forced to pay premium rates for high-speed traffic to flow to their Web sites. Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said Rock The Net will help him get network neutrality legislation on the books. Net neutrality advocates, meanwhile, are skeptical about the intentions of the FCC's "notice of inquiry" into the subject.

E-Government
Panel Approves E-Filing Of Senate Campaign Reports
     The Senate Rules and Administration Committee approved legislation that would require senators to file their campaign finance reports electronically. The bill, S. 223, would require that reports to the Federal Election Commission be filed electronically beginning Jan. 1, 2008. The measure was approved by voice vote. Once the committee overcame incredulity about the current process -- handwritten reports that a private firm transcribes and then saves as a digital snapshot, at a cost of $250,000 annually -- the vote was unanimous. Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., swept aside attempts to tie the bill to broader campaign finance changes. "There is no public opposition to this proposal," Feinstein said. "But it has been very difficult to get enacted. I hope we refrain from getting involved in other items that have been debated for years." House and presidential candidates already must file electronic returns.

E-Government
Congressional Reports Should Be Online, Group Says
     An open-government coalition is urging changes to a policy that they say lets lobbyists with money obtain the congressional research reports but leaves most everyone else out of the loop. The alliance, headed by OpenTheGovernment.org and the Center for Democracy and Technology, has asked key lawmakers to back public access to Congressional Research Service reports via the Internet. The latest lobbying follows the issuance of a March 20 memorandum by the CRS director to staffers that strengthened controls regarding distribution of CRS reports beyond Congress. "The continued refusal on the part of CRS management ... to give taxpayers free access to this important source of government information sends the clearest signal yet that Congress must act in order to fix this unfair and untenable policy," the advocates' letter states.

Health
Health IT Falls To Low Priority, Capitol Aides Say
     Health information technology legislation has fallen to a low priority for this year, congressional aides of both parties said at a forum sponsored by the Erickson Retirement Communities. The aides agreed widespread support exists on Capitol Hill for standardized electronic medical records and an incentive to medical providers to make the initial investment. However, there also is a consensus that time and money are huge barriers to action this year. The State Children's Health Insurance Program and several Food and Drug Administration programs must be reauthorized this year, and that is expected to keep health committees busy until the fall. A Senate Finance Committee aide said the chamber probably will not be able to move a comprehensive health IT bill this year. A new Erickson-sponsored poll, meanwhile, showed that many U.S. voters want e-health records but wrongly think that physicians and hospitals already rely on them.

Civil Liberties
FBI Chief Takes Blame For Misuse Of Subpoenas
     The head of the FBI took personal responsibility for his agency's misuse of a secret subpoena power included in a 2001 anti-terrorism law. He said at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that he is taking steps to ensure that the improper collection of citizens' telephone, e-mail and financial records does not continue. FBI Director Robert Mueller said he fully supports recommendations made in a recent inspector general's report that revealed widespread failures in the agency's use of "national security letters." The analysis showed that Congress was not adequately briefed on thousands of requests for such subpoenas. Mueller said the problems were the product of "mistakes, carelessness, confusion, sloppiness, lack of training, lack of adequate guidance, and lack of adequate oversight." But he added that the letters are "indispensable" and have resulted in appropriate anti-terrorism investigations.

Television
Major Retailer Won't Carry DTV Boxes In All Stores
     A top executive with the electronics retailer Best Buy balked at committing to carry digital-television converter boxes in all of its 832 stores, raising the ire of key Democrats. The units, to be subsidized by the federal government through coupon redemptions, are considered essential to ensuring that millions of households do not lose broadcast signals when the Feb. 17, 2009, shift to digital occurs. "It will depend on what the demand will be," Michael Vitelli, a Best Buy senior vice president, said during a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on digital television. Panel Chairman Edward Markey, D-Mass., repeatedly prodded Vitelli to say the units would be available in all Best Buy stores, but Vitelli wouldn't budge. He did note that the chain has distributed thousands of DTV tip sheets, will cease carrying analog sets May 1, and will train sales representatives about the converters.

Security
Licensing Rules Won't Create National ID, Official Says
     A senior official at the Homeland Security Department told senators that proposed guidelines for a federal law mandating driver's licensing standards would not create a backdoor national identification system. Assistant Secretary for Policy Development Richard Barth told members of a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee that proposed guidelines for the implementation of the so-called REAL ID Act would establish a "network of networks," not a national ID card or database. REAL ID requires states to make information in their motor-vehicle databases available to each other electronically. In written testimony, Barth said that is technically feasible and non-intrusive. He also noted that the department would require states to develop comprehensive security plans for protecting sensitive information. "The fact remains that REAL ID does not give the federal government greater access to the information than it had before," Barth said.