In step with federal government intrusion into the health care system, the auto industry, and the financial industry, the FCC and the Obama Administration has had its eye on asserting control over the Internet.
On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) closed its official public comment period “In the Matter of Framework for Broadband Internet Service.” In English? Despite broad opposition, three of the five unelected members of the FCC are one step away from officially regulating the Internet under laws originally intended for monopoly telephone carriers in the 1930s.
So how can the FCC make this dramatic change in the way the government treats the Internet? Well, according to the Democrats on the Commission and far left advocacy organizations like Free Press, it’s a surprisingly simple process – one that does not include the approval of Congress approval or any elected officials.
Just since June 17, the FCC: opened a Notice of Inquiry to seek the “best legal framework for broadband Internet access” on a partisan 3-2 vote; accepted comments on these proposed regulations; and then allowed for reply comments so that policy, advocacy, and industry leaders would have a chance to refute whatever points were made during the initial comment period (to whomever might be interested in a seemingly obscure telecommunications issue, in the middle of August!).
And that’s it, folks!
Now, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski believes he can defy the majority opinions of Congress and the American People and ignore a federal appeals court ruling and simply call a vote of the Commission that would officially reclassify broadband services under the Depression-era Title II regulations.
In response to erroneous-to-delusional claims made by Free Press, the leading radical group pushing for Internet regulations, members of the Internet Freedom Coalition filed reply comments with the Commission on Thursday to clarify to the FCC – and to the public – just how damaging thee regulations will be to both consumers and producers.
In their initial comments, Free Press flagrantly ignores even the will of a liberal Democratic Congress:
“Various parties have suggested that Congress could step in and restore the Commission’s authority over broadband networks. While Congress has begun discussions regarding comprehensive revisions to the Communications Act, the legislative process necessarily operates more slowly than the administrative process. The last time Congress updated the Communications Act, it took at least five years. Because we cannot afford to wait that long to pursue the nation’s broadband goals, congressional efforts cannot and should not supplant Commission action.”
The Internet Freedom Coalition members (including organizations such as Americans for Prosperity, Americans for Tax Reform, National Taxpayers Union, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Discovery Institute, FreedomWorks Foundation, Institute for Liberty, and the Institute for Policy Innovation, to name a few) warn of the effects of rushing such serious regulatory oversight:
“Those who argue that the Commission must rush to regulate merely because Congressional policymaking will take more time ignore both the proper role of the legislative branch of government and the proper role of deliberation in a free, democratic society. The Commission must consider the fact that the Congress may have refrained from regulating the Internet because they see no compelling reason to do so.”
Free Press’ co-founder Robert McChesney has said, “What we want … is an Internet that is not private property, but public utility.” The FCC seems to be playing right into that hand.