Chairman Walden warms up before FCC hearing

Before a House Communications Subcommittee Federal Communications Commission reauthorization hearing, Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden delivered a keynote at the Free State Foundation’s annual telecommunications policy conference.

He has a very long list of FCC procedures that he thinks needs fixing -- issues he’s been trying to get lawmakers to address for the past three Congresses. “Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the commission’s net neutrality decision is the way in which it was made,” said Chairman Walden. “I’ve often said that bad process results in bad policy.” One of the biggest flashpoints in the network neutrality debate was FCC Chairman Wheeler’s refusal to release the text of the final order to the public prior to the commission vote. Chairman Walden wants to see put more transparency in the FCC’s decision and rulemaking process. Among the procedures he’d like to see adopted: give minority commissioners more timely access to proposals and orders; make the actual text of an order under consideration available for public comment; publish orders, decisions and reports seven days after they are adopted by the commission. One of the things Chairman Walden finds most troubling at the FCC these days is the increasing number of 3-2 partisan votes on major issues.