House Panel Readies FCC Reform Act

A House panel is readying the first votes on process reform at the Federal Communications Commission since the agency approved controversial net neutrality rules earlier this year.

The Hill reports the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Communications and Technology next week will take up a host of reform bills proposed by both Democrats and Republicans.
GOP leaders on the commission have taken an active role in FCC oversight since the commission approved net neutrality rules that would reclassify broadband Internet access under rules governing traditional telephones.

Democrats have said many of the Republican reforms seem to be “political retribution” for the net neutrality vote, which is strongly opposed by Republicans and Internet service providers.

Tom Wheeler

Many of the GOP proposals hark back to the net neutrality debate. Republicans criticized FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler for not releasing the text of the regulations ahead of the vote and for taking weeks after the vote to finally make it public.

One of the GOP bills would require the commission to publicly release draft rules ahead of a vote, at the same time commissioners get to see them. Another would force the commission to publish the finalized rules the day they are approved. The third proposal would require the commission to publicly list the actions the FCC takes at the staff level.

Wheeler and Democrats voiced concerns about the changes during a hearing late last month.
The committee is slated to hold a hearing on the Democratic proposals on Friday, which subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) said make “a lot of sense.” The Committee will also debate the draft FCC Process Reform Act, which has won support from Walden, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and the subcommittee’s ranking Democrat, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.). A bill by the same title passed the full House last Congress.