Budget Showdown: House Sends Strong Message to FCC
Posted on June 11, 2015 by Samuel Pastrick
Tags, Telecommunications
Early this morning (Thursday June 11), the GOP-controlled U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Sub-Committee on Financial Services approved their own proposed 2016 Budget, which was released to the public only yesterday. The proposal begins with a $25 million cut to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 2016 budget. The FCC had requested a budget increase of $73 million, so the proposal amounts to a discrepancy of $98 million. If somehow passed, the legislation would also strip the FCC of its newfound authority to regulate February’s landmark Open Internet Order.
Soon after February’s FCC vote, industry groups such as the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), American Cable Association (ACA), and CTIA Wireless Association (working on behalf of powerful mobile carriers and telcos like USTelecom, AT&T, Verizon, and CenturyLink) banded together to sue and request a stay from a Federal Appeals Court. The goal in mind was to block the order’s central mandate to reclassify wireless and fixed-line broadband as a “telecommunication” (as opposed to an “information”) service, and ISPs as “common carriers” of this service. Reclassification is essential to the order because it legally equips the FCC to regulate the internet under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934.
The key takeaway here is that, by prohibiting further regulatory action “until certain cases are resolved”, the Republican House is attempting to block the FCC from fulfilling its mission to preserve Net Neutrality for years. Thankfully, in a Federal Court ruling just hours ago, the ruling Circuit Judges denied the industry’s request, citing that Internet Service Providers “have not satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay pending court review”.
Yet, even with this recent development, the House proposal is heading to the floor for a full vote. If you agree with CUB that a free and open internet is a critical building block toward achieving an inclusive and truly democratic society, then please take five minutes out of your day to contact your Representative!
We will be keeping this story updated as it progresses, so stay tuned to our blog and social media channels!
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09/05/22 | 0 Comments | Budget Showdown: House Sends Strong Message to FCC