"Thank you for contacting me to express your strong opposition to any new internet access fees. I share your views and appreciate hearing from you on this important issue."

"I am pleased to tell you that there is absolutely no truth to reports that either Congress or the Federal Communications Commission is planning to impose a charge on consumer access to internet service providers. This erroneous information is nothing more than a hoax that's been circulating on the internet since late last year."

"You may also be interested to know that I strongly supported and voted for the Internet Tax Freedom Act, a bill that prohibits new taxes on internet access and on-line commerce for three years. This critical legislation was signed into law by President Clinton in late October."

"Please be assured that I will keep a close eye on internet-related issues and do whatever I can to make sure that internet users are not saddled with unfair taxes, access charges or user fees."

"Once again, thank you for contacting me. Please keep in touch."

"The report that Congress and/or the Fed. Comm. Comm. (FCC) was contemplating actions which might lead to increased access charges--including long distance or per-minute charges--for Internet users is false. Apparently, this is another example of misinformation being proffered on the Internet as fact. There is no legislation pending before the Congress which would allow for an increase in Internet access charges.

"The source of this misunderstanding may stem from the FCC proceeding underway concerning so-called "reciprocal compensation"--payments to compensate a local telephone company for completing a local call that is placed by one of its competitor customers. There is a dispute in the telephone industry over whether local calls to Internet service providers are subject to reciprocal compensation. However, I have been assured by the FCC that the agency has no intention of making any changes in the way consumers obtain and pay for access to the Internet. ...."