[NewsPoster]

The House Committee on Oversight and Government reform has written to US Federal Communications Commission chairman Tom Wheeler, and has demanded that the regulatory agency produce any and all communiation between the FCC and the White House. The Republicans on the committee claim to see "an improper influence" from President Obama at the core of the FCC commissioner's recent mandate of Title II regulation of ISPs, and are demanding the documentation to back up their claims, and potentially torpedo the effort.

The House Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) said in the letter that "reports indicate that the views expressed by the White House potentially had an improper influence on the development of the draft Open Internet Order circulated internally at the Commission on February 5. Specifically, there are questions regarding the FCC's decision to promote the reclassification of broadband services under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934."

Chairman Wheeler's Title II original suggestion far predates President Obama's public call for the regulation. Republican opposition to the concept also precedes the President's remarks, with a bill being debated right now in the House to block the FCC from implementing the oversight.

The newly-installed Republican-majority Congress is moving rapidly to try and undermine or prevent the FCC from potentially putting the large US carriers of Internet service under "Title II" regulation. FCC Chair Tom Wheeler revealed in a recent interview that his latest proposal will definitely make net neutrality mandatory; it will nullify the "paid prioritization" deals Netflix was forced to make with carriers; can mandate rural expansion of high-speed Internet service, service to poorer communities and schools, albeit with hefty tax breaks; and address widespread complaints of poor customer service, lack of competition, and high prices prevalent with US ISPs.

Chaffetz reminds the FCC in his letter that the committee "has authority to investigate 'any matter' at 'any time'." The data request, including making knowledgeable staff available, has been demanded by February 20.

2015 02 06 JEC to Wheeler FCC Open Internet

[cashxx]

The Republican's sticking up for the rich again!

[jwdsail]

Reports indicate that the cash, I'm sorry, views expressed by industry lobbyists have an improper influence on The House Committee on Oversight and Government reform.

There, fixed that for them.

[Birchscott]

FYI, you list 'poor customer service' twice.

[Mike Wuerthele]

Heh. So I did.

Is it worth mentioning twice how bad it is?

[garmonbosia]

The FCC and the White house should offer to turn over their communications when the Republicans turn over all communications between them and their corporate masters.

[buddhistMonkey]

Come on, conservatives, rush in to defend your chosen Representatives and their corporate masters. Tell us how "the invisible hand of the free market" is superior to the FCC regulating the Internet as a utility.

I freakin' DARE you.

[efithian]

The repubs are slowing digging their graves for the next two years.

[The Vicar]

@efithian: Would that that were true. Everyone thought that the Republicans were finished in 2006, and again in 2008, and yet here they are, in control of both branches of Congress and, arguably, the Justice department. (Throw in the fact that Obama is further to the right than most Americans on most issues, and it's truly cause for despair.) By the time the elections roll around, the Republicans will have sufficiently distracted everyone with some nonsense "cultural" issue, probably ginned up with lies (like the "Obama wants to take your guns!!!!!" stuff, or Benghazi, or Whitewater, etc. etc. etc.) and the same people who voted these clowns into office will buy it, along with a selected subset of "independents" who didn't vote in the last election. And to assist the Republicans in their efforts, the Democrats are preparing to run Hillary Clinton, about whom the Republicans have vast libraries of premade propaganda so they won't even have to start from scratch, and who is even further to the right than Obama, as she keep accidentally revealing in interviews, so a lot of Democrats are going to be less-than-enthusiastic.

If Americans could think, Rush Limbaugh would be in prison (he has admitted to, for example, illegally importing cigars from Cuba, on the radio, among other things), Bush and Cheney and most of their administration would be where the Gitmo prisoners are now, and Obama would be whining about how the Democrats keep making him pass left-wing things he doesn't like, such as expansions to Social Security and Medicare, or just a uniform national health service (like the ones EVERY SINGLE OTHER FIRST-WORLD COUNTRY has, and which tend to cost less per person and provide better outcomes). But most Americans are too stupid to vote, let alone recognize their own best interests, so it's not going to happen.

[elroth]

How nice - another Committee spends taxpayer money in an investigation, just so they can empower Internet companies to take even more money from us.

[Charles Martin]

In wonder if, had the FCC decided to propose something in line with carrier lobbyists' suggestions, if Republicans in Congress would have such zeal to investigate whether undue influence played a role. We live in a world now where if someone suggests a sound and good idea, they are accused of exercising "undue influence" when the idea is actually considered and proposed. Good grief.

[climacs]

thanks again Idiot America for putting these clowns in office. The very definition of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.

[drbroom]

Proof positive that our American "congress" is trying show how correct "Dante" was: "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

"Scotty PLEASE beam me up!!!"