The White House is suggesting that paying the "Internet Bill" could be one of the things Americans could use a payroll tax cut extension to pay for.
The White House Thursday announced it had set up a Web site to collect anecdotal evidence of what an extra $40 in their paychecks could cover (what the White House says is the additional money in a $50,000 annual income). In little cartoon balloons on that site, the White House offered some of its own suggestions, including paying for broadband, as well as a loan payment, a tank of gas, and "dinner out."
Broadband deployment and adoption has been a big issue with the administration as it moves more government services and information online and anticipates a society doing more of its working and connecting and socializing and health and energy monitoring and education online.
The White House is trying to pressure House Republicans to vote on the payroll tax holiday extension bill, which passed the Senate with a bipartisan 89 to 10 vote last weekend. House Republicans want the Senate to name conferees to resolve the differences between that bill and the one that passed the House. That latter bill included spectrum incentive auctions.
