<div id="AppleMailSignature"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><br><br><br></span></font></div><div><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></span></font></div><div><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><b>From:</b> "Rubin, Nilmini" <<a href="mailto:Nilmini.Rubin@mail.house.gov">Nilmini.Rubin@mail.house.gov</a>><br><b>Date:</b> June 21, 2016 at 1:56:04 PM EST<br><b>To:</b> "Rubin, Nilmini" <<a href="mailto:Nilmini.Rubin@mail.house.gov">Nilmini.Rubin@mail.house.gov</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>FW: Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel Introduce Legislation to Promote Internet Access in Developing Countries</b><br><br></span></font></div><div></div><div><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Please note below the announcement of the introduction of the bipartisan Digital GAP Act by Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and Rep. Grace Meng to promote internet access in developing countries.  I am happy to answer any questions you might have on the bill. Best, Nilmini</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"> </font></p><div><div style="border-style:solid none none;border-top-color:rgb(181,196,223);border-top-width:1pt;padding:3pt 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><b>From:</b> House Foreign Affairs Press Office <br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, June 21, 2016 2:33 PM<br><b>Subject:</b> Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel Introduce Legislation to Promote Internet Access in Developing Countries</span></font></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"> </font></p><div align="center"><table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="630" style="text-align:start;width:472.55pt"><tbody><tr style="height:61.75pt"><td width="630" colspan="3" style="width:472.55pt;padding:0in;height:61.75pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><img width="629" height="102" id="Picture_x0020_16" src="cid:image006.png@01D1CBC6.FE473E20" alt="Description: cid:image003.png@01CF1DBD.8F3F79C0" class="Apple-mail-imageattach"></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"> </font></p></td></tr><tr style="height:22.45pt"><td width="295" style="width:221.1pt;padding:0in 15pt;height:22.45pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><b><i><u>Press Release</u></i></b>    <b><i><u></u></i></b></span></font></p></td><td width="324" style="width:242.95pt;padding:0in;height:22.45pt"><p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font color="#000000" size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><a href="https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/" style="text-decoration:underline"><span style="text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="31" height="31" id="Picture_x0020_5" src="cid:image007.png@01D1CBC6.FE473E20" alt="cid:image001.png@01D09889.D5FD8E90" class="Apple-mail-imageattach"></span></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseForeign" style="text-decoration:underline"><span style="text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="32" height="30" id="Picture_x0020_14" src="cid:image008.png@01D1CBC6.FE473E20" alt="Description: twitter" class="Apple-mail-imageattach"></span></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FArepublicans" style="text-decoration:underline"><span style="text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="32" height="30" id="Picture_x0020_8" src="cid:image009.png@01D1CBC6.FE473E20" alt="Description: facebook" class="Apple-mail-imageattach"></span></a> <a href="https://instagram.com/HouseForeign/" style="text-decoration:underline"><span style="text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="30" height="30" id="Picture_x0020_12" src="cid:image010.png@01D1CBC6.FE473E20" alt="cid:image009.png@01D097D0.54735260" class="Apple-mail-imageattach"></span></a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/farepublicans/" style="text-decoration:underline"><span style="text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="32" height="30" id="Picture_x0020_11" src="cid:image011.png@01D1CBC6.FE473E20" alt="Description: youtube" class="Apple-mail-imageattach"></span></a></span></font></p></td><td width="11" style="width:8.5pt;padding:0in;height:22.45pt"><p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"> </font></p></td></tr><tr style="height:37.35pt"><td width="295" valign="top" style="width:221.1pt;padding:0in 15pt;height:37.35pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><b style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><font size="2">For Immediate Release</font></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">June 21, 2016<b></b></span></font></p></td><td width="324" valign="top" style="width:242.95pt;padding:0in;height:37.35pt"><p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><b>Press Office (Royce)</b></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">(202) 225-5021</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><b style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><font size="2">Press Office (Engel)</font></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">(202) 226-9103<b></b></span></font></p></td><td width="11" valign="top" style="width:8.5pt;padding:0in;height:37.35pt"><p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"> </font></p></td></tr><tr style="height:125.2pt"><td width="630" colspan="3" valign="top" style="width:472.55pt;padding:15pt;height:125.2pt"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><b>Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel Introduce Legislation to Promote Internet Access in Developing Countries</b></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"> </span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><b>Washington, D.C.</b> – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and the Committee’s Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY) introduced <a href="https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/HR-5337.pdf" style="text-decoration:underline">H.R. 5537, the Digital Global Access Policy Act of 2016</a>.  House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) are original cosponsors of the bipartisan legislation, which urges the United States to promote internet access in developing countries in an effort to drive economic growth, improve health and education, promote democracy and reduce gender inequality.  The legislation builds upon the Foreign Affairs Committee’s recent <a href="http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing/hearing-women-and-technology-increasing-opportunity-and-driving-international-development" style="text-decoration:underline">gender and technology hearing</a>.</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"> </span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><b>Upon introduction, Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel issued this statement:  </b><i>“The internet offers tremendous opportunities – for those that have access to it.  But 60% of the world’s population, largely concentrated in developing countries, remains offline.  Without internet access, the developing world is at risk of falling further behind.  We have introduced this bipartisan legislation so developing countries can take better advantage of the many opportunities internet access offers.”   </i></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"> </span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">Additionally, <a href="https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/HR-5337.pdf" style="text-decoration:underline">H.R. 5537</a> promotes:</span></font></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:0px;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">·         first-time internet access for at least 1.5 billion people in developing countries by 2020;</span></font></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:0px;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">·         the standardized inclusion of internet infrastructure in general infrastructure projects;</span></font></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:0px;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">·         the removal of tax and regulatory barriers to internet access;</span></font></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:0px;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">·         the use of the internet to increase economic growth and trade, such as through the removal of restrictions on e-commerce, cross-border information flows, and competitive marketplaces; and</span></font></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-indent:0px;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">·         the use of the internet to bolster democracy, transparency, and human rights, through policies and programs that uphold privacy and freedom of speech and expression online.</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"> </span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font color="#000000" size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><a href="https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/HR-5337.pdf" style="text-decoration:underline">H.R. 5537</a> also expresses support for designating<b> </b>an Assistant Secretary at the State Department to address cyberspace policy and engage with foreign governments on issues like cybersecurity, internet freedom, internet access, and internet governance.</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"> </span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><b>Note:</b> A section-by-section summary of H.R. 5537, the Digital Global Access Policy Act of 2016, is available <a href="https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/HR-5537-section-by-section.pdf" style="text-decoration:underline">HERE</a>.</span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"> </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">###</span></font></p></td></tr><tr style="height:87.5pt"><td width="630" colspan="3" valign="top" style="width:472.55pt;padding:15pt;height:87.5pt"><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><b style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><font size="2">Connect with the Committee</font></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)">------------------------------</span></font></p><div align="center"><table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="text-align:start;width:590px;border-collapse:collapse"><tbody><tr style="height:22.5pt"><td width="7%" valign="top" style="width:45px;padding:0in;height:22.5pt"><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"> </font></p></td><td width="7%" valign="top" style="width:45px;padding:0in;height:22.5pt"><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"> </font></p></td><td width="7%" valign="top" style="width:45px;padding:0in;height:22.5pt"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font size="2"> </font></p></td><td width="7%" valign="top" style="width:30.625px;padding:0in 5.4pt;height:22.5pt"></td><td width="8%" valign="top" style="width:34.625px;padding:0in 5.4pt;height:22.5pt"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font color="#000000" size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><a href="https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/" style="text-decoration:underline"><span style="text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="31" height="31" id="Picture_x0020_10" src="cid:image007.png@01D1CBC6.FE473E20" alt="cid:image001.png@01D09889.D5FD8E90" class="Apple-mail-imageattach"></span></a></span></font></p></td><td width="8%" valign="top" style="width:34.625px;padding:0in 5.4pt;height:22.5pt"><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font color="#000000" size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><a href="https://twitter.com/HouseForeign" style="text-decoration:underline"><span style="text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="32" height="30" id="Picture_x0020_9" src="cid:image008.png@01D1CBC6.FE473E20" alt="Description: twitter" class="Apple-mail-imageattach"></span></a></span></font></p></td><td width="8%" valign="top" style="width:34.625px;padding:0in 5.4pt;height:22.5pt"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:start;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt"><font color="#000000" size="2"><span style="background-color:rgba(255,255,255,0)"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FArepublicans" style="text-decoration:underline"><span style="text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="32" height="30" id="Picture_x0020_7" src="cid:image009.png@01D1CBC6.F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