Judiciary Committee To Seek A Piece Of House Telecom Bill

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO SEEK A PIECE OF HOUSE TELECOM BILL
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: David Hatch]
The House Judiciary Committee plans to request sequential referral over portions of a telecommunications bill released last week by House Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX). The Judiciary panel's involvement would be significant because Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) is a vocal critic of the regional Bell operating companies who is concerned about the possibility of anti-competitive conduct. The referral, if approved by House leaders, would come after the full Commerce panel approves the Barton-authored measure, which is viewed as favorable to the Bell companies. Meanwhile, the Judiciary Committee is quietly drafting legislation based on a bill introduced in 2004 by Chairman Sensenbrenner and Judiciary ranking member John Conyers (D-MI). The measure would clarify that antitrust laws apply to the telecom sector regardless of court decisions suggesting otherwise. Depending on the outcome of the referral request, the Judiciary panel's legislation may include restrictive "network neutrality" provisions banning telecom and cable companies from acting as Internet gatekeepers and offering faster speed service to preferred Web sites.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-OWSR1144093846528.html