Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Congressional "Future of American Media" caucus urges net neutrality
This is the text of an email sent April 25 by Jeff Lieberson, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., who chairs the congressional "Future of American Media" caucus. (Lieberson: 202-225-6335 office; 202-225-0817 cell) jeff.lieberson@mail.house.gov
WASHINGTON -- Concerned about proposed legislation that could limit the public's access to all Internet content, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and members of the Future of American Media (FAM) Caucus today called on House telecommunications leaders to strengthen the net neutrality provisions in the Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement (COPE) Act so that large Internet service providers cannot exert influence over the speed and availability of Internet content. The House Energy & Commerce Committee is set to consider the COPE Act this week and finalize the measure before sending it to the full House for a vote.
Joining Hinchey in sending the letter to Barton and Dingell were: Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Congresswoman Diane Watson (D-CA), Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA), and Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR).
"As members of the Future of American Media Caucus, we believe that net neutrality should be a benchmark of the strength of American democracy," Hinchey and five of his FAM Caucus colleagues wrote to House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) and Ranking Member John Dingell (D-MI). "Any attempt to limit information access on a pay-for-play basis is antithetical to the goal for which the Internet was initially created: to supply content from all sources without discrimination. Our country cannot afford to allow media giants to assume control over what information citizens view online. We must protect net neutrality principles."
Hinchey and his colleagues expressed their concern that the COPE Act would cede control of Internet content to major telecommunications companies. In its current form, the COPE Act would allow Internet service providers to charge content providers to deliver their services to Internet subscribers. Since some smaller companies and individuals would be severely burdened by these fees, large media conglomerates would receive unfair advantages. Content owned by larger providers would be delivered faster, putting an end to the free and open nature of Internet as it is today.
The FAM Caucus is composed of House Members who believe in an accountable, diverse, fair, and independent media. The Caucus, which currently has 20 Members, is open to Members of both parties and it neither supports nor opposes any particular industry stakeholder. The FAM Caucus' goal is to educate Members and staff about media issues before Congress and to ensure that all parties - especially the American public - have a chance to participate in the vital debate over media policy.
Joining Hinchey in sending the letter to Barton and Dingell were: Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Congresswoman Diane Watson (D-CA), Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA), and Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR).
The text of the letter to Barton and Dingell follows:
April 25, 2006
The Honorable Joe Barton
Honorable John D. Dingell
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chairman Barton and Ranking Member Dingell:
As the House Energy and Commerce Committee considers the Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement (COPE) Act of 2006, we write regarding net neutrality provisions contained within this important measure.
We are concerned that the COPE Act does not sufficiently protect the freedom and open accessibility of the Internet, and instead would essentially cede control to large telecommunications companies such as Time Warner, AT&T, and Verizon. We respectfully request that you change the COPE Act's net neutrality provisions in order to fully guarantee freedom of access to all Internet content.
Free and open access to the Internet is essential for the ever-increasing number of users around the world. Yet the provisions within the COPE Act do not make a substantial effort to prevent large cable and telephone companies from exerting influence on the speed of content delivery to their users. Instead, these companies would be allowed to tax content providers and discriminate in favor of their own services and choose which other services prosper based on who pays them more, achieving an unfair advantage over their competitors. Such action would prevent consumers from obtaining the free and unlimited access to information for which users value the Internet.
As members of the Future of American Media Caucus, we believe that net neutrality should be a benchmark of the strength of American democracy. Any attempt to limit information access on a pay-for-play basis is antithetical to the goal for which the Internet was initially created: to supply content to all users and providers without discrimination. Our country cannot afford to allow media giants to assume control over what information citizens view online. We must protect net neutrality principles. We therefore encourage you to use the upcoming mark-up to strengthen net neutrality provisions in the COPE Act, addressing enforcement and preventing discrimination through differential pricing and discriminatory access. These changes are necessary to ensure that consumers continue to receive information through the Internet in an unbiased way, free of corporate influence.
Thank you for your consideration of our request. If you are in need of additional information, your staff may be in touch with Moira Campion of Congressman Hinchey's office at 5-6335.
Sincerely,
Maurice Hinchey, Louise Slaughter, Bernie Sanders, Diane Watson, Jim
McDermott, Peter DeFazio
