When it comes to Internet, Congress should follow small businesses’ lead

We live in an era where Internet innovations are revolutionizing the way Americans live and work. Internet companies have become household names, and across the country, businesses large and small are using Internet capabilities to expand their operations and better serve their customers. We saw this just recently on a tour of downtown Spokane, Washington, where we met with small business leaders who are capitalizing on new technologies to grow and compete.

In this environment of disruption and innovation, it seems particularly ironic that the daily operations of our own Congress remain rooted in the technology of yesterday. Those who work on Capitol Hill are too often forced to use archaic hardware and software that stifles the ability of policymakers to work quickly and communicate with the very people who elect them to office.

{mosads}Instead of allowing a firewall of obsolete processes and out of date technology to slow progress and hamper efforts to increase efficiencies in lawmaking, Congress should be doing what small businesses in communities across the country have already figured out. It’s time for lawmakers to have the tools necessary to harness the power and interconnectivity of the Internet to boost productivity and communicate more easily with colleagues and constituents.

The ability to succeed using the kinds of technological innovations we are describing is not limited to those working in the hallowed garages of Silicon Valley. Companies across the country capitalize on the immense power of the Internet to grow, improve their operations, and better serve their customers at home and around the world.

In Spokane, countless businesses—from bakeries to bookshops—are harnessing new capabilities made possible by the Internet. Sweet Frostings Blissful Bakeshop has used the Internet to connect with customers and grow from a small bakery to a regional powerhouse. Uncle’s Games & Puzzles, a Spokane institution, has fostered a dedicated online fan base, connecting the community with news, store information, and events.  Seven2 is a digital agency that develops content for games, websites, videos, and apps for clients such as GoDaddy, Netflix, and Expedia—a prime example that Internet innovation is alive and well outside of Silicon Valley.

These are just several of the many businesses that count on a robust Internet to create jobs and reach customers. In recent years, the likelihood of success for a small business has become increasingly dependent on the Internet – and that’s why we have tirelessly championed the importance of technological progress in Congress and around Capitol Hill.

We’ve seen firsthand how the policies we advance in the other Washington directly affect communities and businesses back home: empowering small businesses, reducing cumbersome regulations, and creating a climate in which entrepreneurs can succeed.  We know that federal and state policies affecting Internet growth have become community issues, impacting almost every consumer and business owner around the country.  

While we have worked diligently to advance policies in Washington, D.C. that support continued growth of Internet-based innovation, it’s time for those of us in the nation’s capitol to look back into our communities for examples of how to integrate those same innovations into the business of lawmaking. A vibrant Internet economy ensures that consumers and businesses from coast to coast have the resources needed to continue to grow, increase efficiencies, and improve lives. Everyone from small businesses on Main Street in Washington State to policymakers on Capitol Hill need the Internet to thrive.

Congress should take a page out of the book of American small businesses, embracing advances made possible through digital innovation. By investing the resources necessary to ensure that we have these improved tools and processes, we will be able to work more efficiently on Capitol Hill and connect more closely with constituents in communities across the United States.  

McMorris Rodgers has represented Washington’s 5^th Congressional District since 2005, She sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee. Beckerman is the president and CEO of the Internet Association.