Methodology: U.S. Senate
Methodology: U.S. Senate
Rankings are based on an examination of voting records of 100 members serving in the U.S. Senate as of September 2004. We rated senators on 10 key votes chosen for their impact on the technology community at large and their relevance as a technology policy litmus test. We excluded voice votes and committee votes. We also excluded some votes on bills like the Can-Spam Act that couldn't reliably differentiate legislators who were pro-technology from those who weren't. Politicians present for three or fewer votes were not given a total score. Scores were assigned solely based on the editorial opinions of CNET News.com. Scores for each vote are described below:
Vote: To approve the Communications Decency Act, later gutted by the U.S. Supreme Court, June 1995
Score: Yes=0, No=1
Vote: To approve the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, including its "anti-circumvention" restrictions, May 1998
Score: Yes=0, No=1
Vote: To extend expiry date of an Internet tax moratorium, October 1998
Score: Yes=1, No=0
Vote: To table proposed restrictions on online sale of firearms, May 1999
Score: Yes=1, No=0
Vote To limit the Year 2000 (Y2K) liability of information technology companies, July 1999
Score: Yes=1, No=0
Vote: To modernize export controls on computer hardware, September 2001
Score: Yes=1, No=0
Vote: To approve the USA Patriot Act, October 2001
Score: Yes=0, No=1
Vote: To table an amendment that would have encouraged taxing purchases made online, November 2001
Score: Yes=1, No=0
Vote: To approve free trade bill, including Trade Promotion Authority for president, August 2002
Score: Yes=1, No=0
Vote: To approve a tax bill that extended a research and development tax credit, September 2004
Score: Yes=1, No=0
Methodology: U.S. Senate
Rankings are based on an examination of voting records of 100 members serving in the U.S. Senate as of September 2004. We rated senators on 10 key votes chosen for their impact on the technology community at large and their relevance as a technology policy litmus test. We excluded voice votes and committee votes. We also excluded some votes on bills like the Can-Spam Act that couldn't reliably differentiate legislators who were pro-technology from those who weren't. Politicians present for three or fewer votes were not given a total score. Scores were assigned solely based on the editorial opinions of CNET News.com. Scores for each vote are described below:
Vote: To approve the Communications Decency Act, later gutted by the U.S. Supreme Court, June 1995
Score: Yes=0, No=1
Vote: To approve the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, including its "anti-circumvention" restrictions, May 1998
Score: Yes=0, No=1
Vote: To extend expiry date of an Internet tax moratorium, October 1998
Score: Yes=1, No=0
Vote: To table proposed restrictions on online sale of firearms, May 1999
Score: Yes=1, No=0
Vote To limit the Year 2000 (Y2K) liability of information technology companies, July 1999
Score: Yes=1, No=0
Vote: To modernize export controls on computer hardware, September 2001
Score: Yes=1, No=0
Vote: To approve the USA Patriot Act, October 2001
Score: Yes=0, No=1
Vote: To table an amendment that would have encouraged taxing purchases made online, November 2001
Score: Yes=1, No=0
Vote: To approve free trade bill, including Trade Promotion Authority for president, August 2002
Score: Yes=1, No=0
Vote: To approve a tax bill that extended a research and development tax credit, September 2004
Score: Yes=1, No=0