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Takano's remarks, which came during a roundtable discussion that covered

Feb. 7, 2017 by Katherine Berry

Takano's remarks, which came during a roundtable discussion that covered topics ranging from Internet safety to the internet's role in climate change, were met with more than a laugh from fellow Reps. Ryan Costello (R-Fla.) and Lamar Smith (R-Texas), who were in attendance in a wide-ranging discussion about the impact of Internet service providers on local and state governments, the internet, and the future of privacy.

In contrast, Rep. Chris Conyers (D-Mich.) came on stage with a much more sober tone, arguing that the US isn't ready yet to address the problem of broadband penetration, "which is one of the problems that we're facing right now; it's not a problem that we're solving right now."

"I think it's important to understand the challenges we face, but our problem is too complex," Conyers pointed out to the assembled panel. "We have the Internet, and we need to know what to do about it, and if we don't, we will lose the Internet."

After the meeting, an aide told reporters that "it is unfortunate that this is an opportunity for a member of Congress to speak publicly about the issues of Internet privacy and the challenges we face as a society," and that they were "working very hard to identify solutions at the moment."

In other words, the real problem facing the US is that our country is not ready. The US is not yet ready to address the problem of the internet, which is one of the problems that we're facing right now; it's not a problem that we're solving right now; it is not a problem that we're solving right now; and we are not ready for the future.

The next stop is the White House and Congress, where they'll continue to push the issue of privacy and accountability through an ever-increasing number of bills and committees. "One of the things that we want to do is build a stronger relationship between the two chambers," Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) said, while also offering a sense of hope to Congress that the US doesn't yet have the "right answer" when it comes to reforming the internet.

"We need to start looking at the best, not the worst, ways to make sure that this is the right solution," he said.

The question of whether or not to extend broadband service to all of our citizens is one that is increasingly being debated at the state and local level. The Internet is an important infrastructure that provides information by