Political Positions
Boucher has been active on Internet-related legislation, including cosponsoring the High Performance Computing and Communication Act of 1991 which led to the development of the Mosaic web browser credited by most scholars as beginning the Internet boom of the 1990s. His proposals to promote competition in the cable and local telephone industries contributed to the enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Boucher originated the House Internet Caucus and served as its co-chairman. He also created the Digital Media Consumer's Rights Act (DMCRA) legislation and co-authored the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. He was named Politician of the Year for 2006 by Library Journal, largely due to his efforts to protect the fair use doctrine and expand Internet technologies to rural areas.
Boucher voted in favor of the Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act, as well as the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In contrast, Boucher has received a rating of "A+" from the National Rifle Association and is one of the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq.
Boucher is a strong opponent of tax patents and has introduced bills to either have them banned or to exempt tax attorneys and tax payers from liability in infringing them.
In June 2009, Boucher voted in favor of the American Clean Energy and Security Act which, if enacted, would establish a cap-and-trade system. Boucher was chairman of the energy sub-committee of the previous Congress which first drafted the legislation, and was deemed to be instrumental in the bills development. Boucher opened his pre-vote remarks on the bill by saying that he was in "strong support of the bill."
In November 2009, Boucher, along with 39 other Democratic members of the House, voted against the Affordable Health Care for America Act. Also, on March 21, 2010, Boucher voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.
Rick Boucher endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president, while his district went solidly for Hillary Clinton.
In 2007, Congress.org ranked Rick Boucher as the 10th most powerful member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Read more about this topic: Rick Boucher
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