Posted on 12/21/2010 3:42:42 PM PST by NoLibZone
Less than an hour after the Federal Communications Commission approved net neutrality rules, Republican lawmakers began staking their claim in the next potential leg of the debate: repeal.
The first calls to roll back the FCC's new net neutrality order came Tuesday from the House's most senior Republicans: House GOP Leader John Boehner of Ohio and Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia, as well as the incoming leaders of the chamber's top tech and telecom committees.
The members each threatened to limit the agency's funds or restrict its jurisdiction in the aftermath of the FCC’s vote, with Boehner proclaiming the "new House majority will work to reverse this unnecessary and harmful federal government power grab next year."
Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), soon-to-be chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, later elaborated to reporters Tuesday afternoon that he plans to bring all five commissioners before the panel to discuss net neutrality at "the first hearing out of the box" next year. He even signaled the possibility that Republicans may pursue repeal through the Congressional Review Act — an avenue that allows members to reject agency rules without threat of filibuster, provided they can secure a majority support against net neutrality.
Joining Upton's calls for strict scrutiny and eventual repeal were Reps. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), Lee Terry (R-Neb.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). Walden, who will soon lead the House's top tech subcommittee, stressed the need to rebuff any FCC "power grab that'd allow the commission to regulate" other areas of broadband. Blackburn also floated the possibility of blocking agency funds for use on net neutrality, adding: "You will see activism on each of these levels."
Congressional furor follows Tuesday’s 3-2, party-line vote on Genachowski's plan to adopt basic net neutrality protections for broadband networks. The order will prohibit Internet service providers such as AT&T, Verizon and Comcast from blocking access to lawful content and websites. It also prohibits traditional wired broadband providers from unreasonably discriminating against any traffic, though there will be no similar rule in place for wireless providers.
Following the vote, the chairman said he was ready to take on any criticism.
"We adopted today a strong and balanced order that has widespread support and that focuses on the importance of Internet freedom," he said. "It's a strong and balanced order and I look forward to speaking about it with anyone who is interested.”
Some Democrats hail the FCC's vote on Tuesday as the next step in ensuring that high-speed Internet networks remain open. Supporters included Sens. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, Mark Warner of Virgnia, Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Doris Matsui of California.
President Barack Obama also backed the FCC, saying the decision is “an important component of our overall strategy to advance American innovation, economic growth and job creation.”
But those statements of approval may not be enough to stave off critics already interested in undoing Genachowski's work as early as next month.
Other Republican leaders also sounded off Tuesday against the FCC's net neutrality order — including Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who first signaled during a floor speech that he and others in his party would "push back against new rules and regulations." Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), ranking member on her chamber's Commerce Committee, signaled she would revive her efforts to derail the FCC's latest move.
Terry, meanwhile, told POLITICO the vote "certainly sets our agenda for the Energy and Commerce Committee," as he and others, including Upton, plan to discuss their next steps very soon.
"The first thing we'll do is call Julius up and have him explain himself, we need to study the proposal, and then we'll draft legislation to undo it," he said in an interview.
"We'll use everything available to us — so yes, we'll use Appropriations, we'll use the legislative process," he continued. "This is really a war against Congress. ... this is a power grab by an agency almost to unheard of levels. So we have a constitutional obligation to fight this order to the death."
Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), who will lead the Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittee, also joined his GOP colleagues in vowing to heavily scrutinize the agency if it ever moved forward with Genachowski's proposal.
"I will exercise strong oversight on the FCC on this and other issues," Stearns said in a statement Tuesday.
"Also, working with Chairman Walden, we will outline that Internet regulation is out of the FCC's jurisdiction and that regulation will hamper economic growth and job creation," he added, noting he too would pursue a resolution of disapproval next year.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46685.html#ixzz18n9TsoOU
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46685.html#ixzz18n9KIx39
I think they feel the calvalry breathing down their necks.
Do they do that now? In my world I don't see a problem that these liberals need to butt into. But I am open on this issue if others can point out specific problems that we need the FCC to "fix".
Isn’t net neutrality what we have now?
I think it is at least from my experience. However the term "net neutrality" means different things to different people. I guess we would have to read the whole thing and analyze to see exactly what this means.
But the fact Obama is for it and Boehner is against it tells me a lot right there. Also - it was a 3-2 vote in the FCC right down party lines. In fact I can't think of one issue that Obama was for and Republicans were generally united against where I took Obama's side.
DEFUND THE MARXIST BASTARDS! KNOCK THEIR LEGS OUR FROM UNDER THEM! THEN DISEMBOWEL THE IDIOT IN CHARGE. RIP HS DAMN COMMUNIST NUTS OFF, AND STOMP ON THEM!
bump
Another battle on the front begins. Rip out the fascist federal bureaucracies by the roots.
Demand the heads of these fascist bureaucracies appear before congressional committees and rip their Nazi hearts out. Publicly. With the Nazi networks watching. Tell these network pigs they’re next.
I smell blood in the water. King obuma will not survive another two years.
Threaten.......but will you do it??
Personally, it’s a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ issue. The Dems want the government to take control of the Internet for a seemingly good thing (neutrality) but we *know* they won’t stop there. ;-) It’s just another power grab by the government to regulate something that works well without their interference. No thanks.
If you don’t like what the cable company does, you can cancel your service.
If you don’t like how the FCC dictates your relationship with the cable company, what are you going to do about it, when they require every service provided to have the same relationship with you?
I guess you could drop out of the internet altogether, at least until they decide internet would be cheaper if everybody bought it, and mandate that you pick an internet provider that has services meeting the government’s acceptable standards.
Stop funding the FCC... AND THEN get rid of the agency. Kill it dead. Fire all the fedgov leaches that work for it, and then sell the buildings and any other property they own, to private interests.
This is what needs to be done to EVERY fedgov tentacle. Cut off the funding, fire the useless tax-sucking slobs that inhabit these roach nests, and then sell all the properties... Also, just to be sure, pass legislation that removes judicial jurisdiction, so that the soulless lawyers and the black-robed tyrants cannot do a damn thing about it.
This is WAR! And we need to OBLITERATE the enemy.
Federal Agencies are the enemy of freedom and every American! They all must be politically and fiscally razed to the ground.
The republicans are shooting for the 4chan vote...for the lulz.
Sorry ,,,,don’t believe them.
“C’mon now. Where’s all the GOP haters? Cmon? Where’s the “spineless” comments?”
Right here. Those losers have to prove themselves. Until they do, it’s all words, and they’re still a bunch of spineless, posturing, politician buttholes.
Filibuster < Threat < Double-dog dare < Line in the sand
Where were these “threats” before the fascist FCC vote? Why wasn’t the GOP out in force “threatening” to move the FCC’s office to ANWR?
The federal court decision back in April was an outright smackdown on the FCC. Today, the FCC put on their Andrew Jackson costume & said, “Let them enforce it.”
In the meantime, the GOP will proceed to this threat right after they follow up on their threats of DADT & START.
I'm getting the feeling the pubbies have indeed found some spine. We clearly helped 'em toward that goal, so let's keep it up. It will be a bit easier next month, as well.
“This is “net neutrality” for the “progressives” aka “the scum of the earth” in our society.”
Progressives, aka, Liberals and Democrats... THE REAL “TERRORIST THREAT” TO AMERICA!
That's what's encouraging about this. Many are fence-sitting because it's not well understood what a blatant power grab this is, yet many pubs seem to understand it and have vowed to block it, kill it, defund it. I agree it can't be repealed easily since it isn't law, but it sounds like they're willing to try every means possible.
For those fence sitters, ask yourself this question: If this administration can control flow rate of data on the internet, whom do you think they will favor, or try to impede ? Those that agree with them, or are critical of them. ?
..and as for whom to trust; cable company or the government ? You can cancel the cable company.
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