Even before he assumed the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Fred Upton promised oversight of the FCC, and he promised to lead the charge to overturn the agency’s controversial net neutrality regulations.
On Tuesday, he delivered on both.
Upton and other committee leaders introduced their resolution of disapproval today, pairing the action with stern words for FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski for ushering in regulations they warn will curtail innovation and investment in the Internet sector.
Genachowski and the commission’s other Democrats defended the net neutrality rules at the oversight hearing, arguing that they are necessary to prevent ISPs from unfairly discriminating against certain Internet traffic, and maintaining that they are firmly rooted in the FCC’s statutory authority.
Members of both parties acknowledged that the courts are likely to weigh heavily on the future of the net neutrality debate, with Verizon and wireless provider Metro PCS having already filed legal challenges seeking to overturn the FCC’s December order.
Datamation reports on the latest news from Washington on the net neutrality issue in Congress and at the FCC.