House Commerce Committee Leadership Wants FCC Oversight Hearing

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House Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Communications and Technology Ranking Member Mike Doyle (D-PA) sent a letter to full committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn requesting they fulfill their commitment to hold oversight hearings of the Federal Communications Commission by immediately rescheduling a hearing that was postponed on February 16. 

At the beginning of this Congress, the Committee’s Republican leadership committed to holding quarterly oversight hearings with the FCC but, six quarters later, only two hearings have been held. Reps. Pallone and Doyle also believe the hearing must be held because FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has consistently failed to answer questions from Committee Democrats despite early commitments to be responsive to both Republicans and Democrats.  The current FCC has refused to fully answer the letters of Committee Democrats 26 times, as highlighted in a recent letter to FCC from the Democratic members of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee.  The letters seek important answers to questions related to issues of public concern like net neutrality, privacy, universal broadband access, and media concentration.  


House Commerce Committee Leadership Wants FCC Oversight Hearing