RFID Senate Caucus - What Does It Mean?

Filed in archive RFID Basics on July 15, 2006

Finally -- something the Democrats and Republicans agree on... and RFID technology manages to bring them together. Who would have thought it?

Two lawmakers -- one a Democrat and one a Republican -- have formed a caucus on RFID technology. Computerworld has the report:

"Two members of the U.S. Senate launched an RFID (radio frequency identification) caucus Thursday, with the purpose of educating lawmakers on the benefits of the expanding technology.

Senators Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, and John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, plan to sponsor periodic discussions on Capitol Hill about the advantages of RFID and the policy implications."

The RFID Law Blog published the text of the letter that the two lawmakers sent to colleagues (download letter here -- PDF). Fear that America will fall behind in competitiveness is the stated reason for arranging the RFID Caucus.

As the RFID Law Blog points out, a caucus has no official function in Washington. However, the formation of an RFID caucus does demonstrate that lawmakers are increasingly aware of RFID technology -- and not in the tiresome scare-them-silly-with-blown-out-of-proportion-fears-of-the-technology-let's-pass-a-law-limiting-it attitude.

More also at the RFID Journal.