New Flare-Up in Capitol Over 'Net Neutrality'

House Republicans attacked new "net neutrality" rules for broadband Internet lines in a contentious hearing Wednesday and criticized Democratic Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski for adopting them, according to a story by Amy Schatz at wsj.com.

Republicans are targeting the new Internet rules, which would bar Internet providers from blocking or slowing Internet traffic and services, as one of many new regulations, including for health care and the environment, which they say are unnecessary and overly burdensome on industry.

"Why would you put the government in charge of the Internet?" said Rep. Fred Upton (R., Mich.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Genachowski defended the new rules during the hearing, saying the FCC "did the right thing" and that it is "pro-job and pro-investment" for the U.S. economy.

Democratic lawmakers on the panel also defended Mr. Genachowski and several said they didn't think the FCC had gone far enough with regulating Internet lines. They said the agency should have more firmly established its authority to play Internet traffic cop by re-regulating Internet lines under rules designed for the landline phone network.

"Without some clear rules of the road, large corporations can carve up the Internet into fast and slow lanes, charging a toll for content and blocking innovators from entering the information superhighway," said Rep. Anna Eshoo (D., Calif.), whose district includes many Silicon Valley companies, including Google Inc.

Republican lawmakers are trying to stop the new-neutrality rules though various legislative avenues, including an amendment to budget legislation to stop funding to the FCC to implement the new rules. They are also planning within the next few days to introduce legislation to overturn the rules using the Congressional Review Act, although such an effort is unlikely to gain the needed approval of President Barack Obama, who supports the FDD's net-neutrality rules.

In late December, the FCC adopted, on a partisan 3-2 vote, new regulations on Internet lines that would prohibit phone and cable companies from blocking or slowing legal Internet traffic. Those net-neutrality rules would guarantee the rights of consumers to access to legal Internet sites and services.

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