Net Neutrality CRA Resolution 'Empowers' Upton Legislative Effort, Collins Says
Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., believes his Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval to dismantle the FCC net neutrality order could help the efforts of Commerce Committee Republicans. “My resolution does nothing to affect them,” Collins said during an episode of…
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C-SPAN’s The Communicators, set to have been telecast over the weekend, on the legislative hopes of Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., and others. “In fact, it empowers them.” Collins stressed his belief that Congress should be the one acting on net neutrality, not the FCC. Collins is not a member of Commerce. “It’s simply a constitutional issue,” Collins said. “Let that be an issue for Congress.” The White House is seen as likely interested in vetoing such a CRA resolution, a rarely successful maneuver, but, Collins said, “Frankly, I believe we should be using more to rein in what we believe is agency law, that way we’re looking at it.” During the same episode, Reps. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., outlined their thoughts on government surveillance. “I don’t like the Patriot Act,” Massie said, describing the USA Freedom Act passed by the House last week (see 1505140036">1505140036) as a “thin veneer of reforms” surrounding its surveillance powers. “Are there enough reforms to warrant reauthorizing the Patriot Act? For me, the answer’s a clear 'no.'” Massie described his failed attempt to get an amendment to strengthen privacy protections considered during the Rules Committee process. “We have to make sure policies [are] in place to protect privacy, to make sure there’s appropriate security, and there’s even international implications in how data moves around," DelBene said of "woefully out of date" policies surrounding an era with so much data circulating and in the cloud. DelBene and Collins, members of the Judiciary Committee, mentioned how outdated they find copyright policy and Collins mentioned his Songwriter Equity Act and interest in music licensing.