House Communications & Technology Subcommittee Outlines Key Legislative Priorities

House Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) recently outlined a 2012 agenda that focuses on job creation, innovation, good government, and protecting the American people. The agenda includes:

1. Promoting Good Government: The communications sector is increasingly a driver of our economy, yet poor Federal Communications Commission process can discourage companies from investing and hinder innovation. To bring greater transparency and predictability to the FCC’s operations, and with an emphasis on practices that help the American public and regulated parties interact with the Commission, the committee will finalize its work, begun last year with a series of hearings and a subcommittee vote, on legislation to focus the agency on its core responsibilities and make certain its decision-making processes are consistent and open.
2. Prioritizing Jobs and Stimulating Innovation: Spectrum auctions have been a promising part of Congress’ latest and highest-profile debates, and as a Conference Committee meets to negotiate a yearlong package of payroll tax relief, spectrum is back on the table. The House-passed spectrum legislation known as the JOBS Act significantly expands the availability of much-needed wireless broadband, generates hundreds of thousands of jobs, helps build a public safety network, and produces nearly $17 billion for taxpayers. The JOBS Act is currently the best deal on the table for taxpayers.
3. Foiling Threats to Communications Networks: This spring, the subcommittee will resume an aggressive review of cybersecurity to ensure our policies address emerging threats of the 21st Century. Many Americans are familiar by now with the spyware and malware that affect personal computers. But most do not know about the cyberbattles that occur within the networks each day—the supply chain vulnerabilities, the man-in-the-middle attacks, the botnets, and the millions of hacking attempts that our cyberdefenses deflect. The subcommittee will focus on these and other threats to America’s communications networks, and the response of the private sector to combat those threats.