May, Szoka Blame Democrats for Not Coming to Table on Net Neutrality
Some backers of what they consider compromise net neutrality legislation found no solace in separate House and Senate net neutrality hearings Wednesday (see 1501210049). “Unfortunately, it looks to me like the Democrats have no intention of agreeing to any bill…
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that is not excessively regulatory and intrusive,” said Free State Foundation President Randolph May, saying he would be “concerned” if GOP lawmakers “alter their draft in ways that further restrict the ability of Internet providers to innovate and experiment with new business models, especially when there is no evidence of present consumer harm or market failure.” TechFreedom President Berin Szoka said it's “disappointing that Democrats seem unwilling even to discuss a legislative solution that could finally resolve the decade-long net neutrality debate” and called for regular order. “Only Congress can provide clarity, transparency and permanence," he said. "Whatever the FCC cooks up behind closed doors will only get mired in court when it finally sees the light of day -- and we’ll wind up right back where we started, with Congress having to decide what to do. Why wait until 2017?” But the current draft bill “does more harm than good,” said New America Foundation’s Joshua Stager and Sarah Morris, in an op-ed for The Hill. “Congress would better serve consumers and small businesses by allowing the FCC to move forward with light-touch net neutrality protections instructed by the robust regulatory record before it.” They said any fears over reclassification are “misplaced.”