The House Judiciary Committee will mark up H.R. 5417, Sensenbrenner's and Conyers' Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2006, tomorrow. This is a remarkably good example of bipartisan legislation that
preserves the concept of net neutrality.
The "Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act" will give certainty to entrepreneurs, investors, and others who seek to deliver innovative ideas to market that they may do so without fearing discrimination. Specifically, this bill would amend the Clayton Act to require that network providers: 1) interconnect with the facilities of other network providers on a reasonable and nondiscriminatory basis; 2) operate their network in a reasonable and nondiscriminatory manner such that non-affiliated providers of content, services and applications have an equal opportunity to reach consumers; and 3) refrain from interfering with users' ability to choose the lawful content, services and applications they want to use.
Unfortunately, the Communication Workers of America (employees of the telecoms that are trying to kill net neutrality) has jumped ship, and is pressuring Democrats on the committee to vote down the provisions in the legislation that preserve net neutrality. They argue (pdf) that if the telecoms aren't given the role of gatekeeper to the Internet, then they won't have the financial incentive to upgrade the infrastructure upon which the Internet functions.
Under such an arrangement, broadband network providers would not be able to recover the billions of dollars they invest in the construction of high-speed networks. As a result, investment in the physical infrastructure necessary to provide high-speed Internet will slow down, the U.S. will fall even further behind the rest of the world, and our rural and lew-income populations will wait even longer to enter the digital age.
This is nothing more than blackmail by the telecoms. We need to counter this push. Committee Democrats need to hear from as many constituents as possible to counter the CWA's pressure. Here's the contact information for Democrats on the Committee. (See Matt Stoller's diary for a full list of Judiciary Committee members.)
Urge them to support the bipartisan Sensenbrenner-Conyers Net Neutrality bill without amendment. The legislation as it stands is great--a CWA supported amendment would be a capitulation to the telecoms.
Howard Berman (D-Calif. 28th)
Phone: 202-225-4695
Fax: 202-225-3196
William Delahunt (D-Mass. 10th)
Phone: (202) 225-3111
Fax: (202) 225-5658
Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas 18th)
(202) 225-3816 phone
(202) 225-3317 Fax
Marty Meehan (D-Mass. 5th)
Phone: (202) 225-3411
Fax: (202) 226-0771
Bobby Scott (D-Va. 3rd)
Phone: (202) 225-8351
Fax: (202) 225-8354
Chris Van Hollen (D-Md. 8th)
Phone: (202) 225-5341
Fax: (202) 225-0375
Maxine Waters (D-Calif. 35th)
Phone: (202) 225-2201
Fax: (202) 225-7854
Mel Watt (D-N.C. 12th)
Tel. (202) 225-1510
Fax (202) 225-1512
Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y. 9th)
Phone: (202) 225-6616
Fax: (202) 226-7253
Robert Wexler (D-Fla. 19th)
phone: (202) 225-3001
fax: (202) 225-5974