The House Communications Subcommittee has set the witnesses
for its March 9 legislative hearing on the resolution blocking the FCC's
network neutrality rules.
The 10:30 a.m. hearing, which will be followed by a markup
hearing on the bill, will feature one panel: Robin Chase, CEO, Buzzcar; Tom
DeReggi, President, RapidDSL & Wireless; Derek Turner, Research Director,
Free Press; Jim Cicconi, senior executive VP, AT&T; Prof. Shane Mitchell
Greenstein, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern Univ.; and Anna-Maria
Kovacs, Strategic Choices.
The subommittee held a Feb. 16 hearing on the FCC's Dec. 21
decsion to expand and codify its network neutrality rules. It featured all the
FCC commissioners, and was followed by the introductin of the resolution by
Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) who, along with his Republican
colleagues, were not convinced the rules were necessary. The resolution is
under the Cognressional Review Act, which creates a fast-track route to
nullifying agency decisions.
In a briefing memo, the Republican majority points out that
the resolution is not subject to amendments in the markup on the resolution to
immediately follow the hearing, but in a separate memo said amendments would be
accepted, as well as comments on whether such amendments were germane.
Democratic members Monday asked that amendments be allowed.
