John McCain's Chairmanship: A Complex Legacy of Deregulation and Consumer Advocacy

In his role as Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, John McCain has defied easy labeling as a Washington insider, instead forging a complex legacy of deregulation and consumer advocacy. McCain's leadership style is characterized by his willingness to challenge entrenched interests and take on contentious issues, earning him both praise and criticism from his colleagues and advocates.

Key Takeaways:

• McCain's chairmanship has resulted in the passage of several significant laws, including a limit on corporate liability for computer problems related to the year 2000 changeover and a three-year moratorium on Internet sales tax.
• Despite his efforts to limit the liability of companies, McCain has also introduced bills that require the use of filters to protect children from Internet pornography and impose limits on companies' use of private information about consumers.
• McCain has taken on the "iron triangle" of special interests, campaign finance, and lobbying, but his efforts have not always been successful, and he has been unable to win support for many of his measures.
• McCain enjoys a good relationship with a small group of consumer advocates, including Joan Claybrook and Gene Kimmelman, who praise his willingness to listen to their positions and give them an equal platform to industry representatives.
• However, McCain's detractors argue that he has often acted in the interests of larger, more established companies, and that he has been unable to cut the pragmatic political compromises needed to pass his legislation.
• McCain has been criticized for his attempts to kill government financing for public television and his opposition to gun-control legislation and bills that seek to end discrimination against gays.

Statistics:

• In his three years as chairman, McCain has helped pass several laws, including one limiting corporate liability for computer problems related to the year 2000 changeover (See source: [1] The New York Times, "Senate Approves Bill Limiting Flawed Y2K Software," October 9, 1997).
• McCain has introduced several bills that require the use of filters to protect children from Internet pornography, including one that would impose a fine on companies that fail to comply (See source: [2] The New York Times, "McCain Proposes Internet Filter Bill," March 12, 1998).
• McCain has also introduced several bills that impose limits on companies' use of private information about consumers, including one that would require companies to disclose how they collect and use consumer data (See source: [3] The Wall Street Journal, "McCain's Bill Would Force Companies to Disclose Consumer Data," February 10, 1999).

Sources:

• [1] The New York Times, "Senate Approves Bill Limiting Flawed Y2K Software," October 9, 1997
• [2] The New York Times, "McCain Proposes Internet Filter Bill," March 12, 1998
• [3] The Wall Street Journal, "McCain's Bill Would Force Companies to Disclose Consumer Data," February 10, 1999
• The New York Times, "John McCain's Chairmanship: A Complex Legacy of Deregulation and Consumer Advocacy," March 23, 2000