[Chapter-delegates] VIDEO: Congress hearings on “Protecting the Internet”

[Joly MacFie]

That both houses of Congress held hearings on this draft bill on the same
day would appear indicative of some recognition of a) the massive public
concern, as exemplified by the millions of responses to the FCC, b) a deal
of lobbying pressure, and c) the promise that whatever the FCC comes up
with will be, again, litigated to a standstill. Both Committee chairs
expressed skepticism that a 1934 statute tailored to the telephone could be
adapted as a successful solution, or that "FCC 3" majority was a
sufficiently representative body to make such decisions. It was gleefully
pointed out that this bill (see infographic
<http://energycommerce.house.gov/sites/republicans.energycommerce.house.gov/files/images/20150121CT.png>)
goes further than the FCC's earlier rules, and Obama's recent proposal,
while sidestepping legal entanglement. However, these same qualities which,
in effect, hamstring the FCC and curb its ability to regulate with agility,
are by no means considered desirable by all stakeholders. The issue of
"specialized services" is still vague. Neither, in the opinions of some,
does the bill adequately address universal service and competition.
Potentially Obama could veto the bill even if it is passed. One thing that
did arise from the hearings was a bicameral demand
<http://energycommerce.house.gov/press-release/upton-thune-and-walden-call-transparency-fcc-urge-public-release-open-internet-order>
that the FCC make its own process transparent.

Altogether this is almost 6 hours of testimony! For convenience and
accessibility ISOC-NY has ported both videos to YouTube. A speaker index
can be found in the descriptions there, and one can set the video to play
at double speed. Members are encouraged to comment via the link below.

 joly posted: "On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 the U.S. House of
Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on
Communications and Technology, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation held consecutive hearings “Protecting t"


On *Wednesday, January 21, 2015* the *U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and
Technology*
<http://energycommerce.house.gov/hearing/protecting-the-internet-and-consumers-through-congressional-action>,
and the *U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation*
<http://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Hearings&ContentRecord_id=7ba9cc4e-3cd8-44dd-bb84-fed5f6309ab2>
held consecutive hearings “*Protecting the Internet and Consumers through
Congressional Action*”. The hearings discussed a *draft bill
<http://docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF16/20150121/102832/BILLS-114pih-NetNeutrality.pdf>*
that would pre-empt the FCC's revised *Open Internet ruling*
<http://www.fcc.gov/document/protecting-and-promoting-open-internet-nprm>,
expected in February 2015, specifically:

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure Internet openness, to
prohibit blocking lawful content and non-harmful devices, to prohibit
throttling data, to prohibit paid prioritization, to require transparency
of network management practices, to provide that broadband shall be
considered to be an information service, and to prohibit the Commission or
a State commission from relying on section 706 of the Telecommunications
Act of 1996 as a grant of authority.

Video is below. Speaker indexes are available in the YouTube descriptions.

*HOUSE HEARING:*

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP_dxvXzVwI?rel=0>

*View on Youtube*: http://youtu.be/uP_dxvXzVwI
*Transcribe on AMARA*: http://www.amara.org/en/videos/21PwAWRTWXm0/
*Witnesses*: *Michael Powell* - President and CEO, National Cable &
Telecommunications Association; *Chad Dickerson* - CEO, Etsy; *Paul Misener*
- Vice President of Global Public Policy, Amazon Inc; *Jessica Gonzalez* -
Executive Vice President and General Counsel, National Hispanic Media
Coalition; *Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee* - Vice President and Chief Research and
Policy Officer, Minority Media & Telecom Council; M*eredith Atwell Baker*,
President and CEO, CTIA-The Wireless Association

*SENATE HEARING:*

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vefwMem49KM?rel=0>

*View on Youtube*: http://youtu.be/vefwMem49KM
*Transcribe on AMARA*: http://www.amara.org/en/videos/DwK4KMPgaQWf/
*Witnesses*: *Meredith Attwell Baker* - President and CEO, CTIA-The
Wireless Association; *Gene Kimmelman* - President and CEO, Public
Knowledge; *Robert McDowell* - Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute; *Paul
Misener* - Vice President, Global Public Policy, Amazon Inc.; *Tom Simmons*
- Senior Vice President of Public Policy, Midcontinent Communications; *Dr.
Nicol Turner-Lee* - Vice President & Chief Research and Policy Officer,
Minority Media & Telecommunications Council


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<http://isoc-ny.org/p2/7403#comments>





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