Insight

Shine the Light on the FCC’s Net Neutrality Proposal

President Obama was correct in 2007 when as a senator he wrote to then- Federal Communication Commission Chairman Martin asserting “the proper process for vetting [a regulation] is not in closed door meetings…”Recently, the FCC’s secretive process throughout the debate on net neutrality and regulating the Internet under Title II has been, to steal one more of his phrases, “irresponsible.” The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee  has opened an inquiry into how the White House influenced forthcoming net neutrality rules, expected to be approved Thursday.

Now, FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn is questioning her support for the proposal by asking FCC Chairman Wheeler to roll back some of the provisions. From the little we know publically, AAF’s Will Rinehart has found reclassification under Title II is at best a “bad software patch” putting 174,000 jobs at risk in 2019.

New regulations threatening how our Internet operates need to be discussed and debated in public. The public is still in the dark regarding tomorrow's proposal as these rules have been negotiated with the administration behind closed doors.

In 2007, then-Senator Obama agreed that “Congress and the public have the right to review any specific proposal and decide whether or not it constitutes sound policy. And the Commission has the responsibility to defend any new proposal in public discourse and debate.” When it comes to something as important as our Internet, let’s bring the debate into the light. 

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