Hot Ticket: Bill Gates Testifies On Capitol Hill
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates appeared before the House Science and Technology Committee on Wednesday and it proved to be a wildly popular event. In addition to the long line for the public and assigned seats for credentialed reporters, the hearing attracted two former members of the committee -- Bob Walker and Sherwood Boehlert.
Walker, a Republican who served Pennsylvania for 20 years, now runs a successful lobbying shop. Bohelert, who chaired the panel in the 109th Congress, retired last year. They both sat in the front row.
While much of the discussion was about serious issues like education, immigration and U.S. competitiveness, there were a few moments of levity. At one point, Chairman Bart Gordon, D-Tenn., listed some similarities and differences between himself and the software pioneer.
"You're a billionaire and I'm not. I'm a college graduate and you're not," he mused, but both have young daughters growing up in a tech-driven world. Gates said he envies kids' ability to learn online because "when I was growing up, the best you could do was read the World Book and that was alphabetical and not very enticing."
Read more about the hearing in CongressDaily.
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