House Commerce Committee Annual Report Highlights Net Neutrality, Spectrum

House Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) sent his Republican colleagues a report on Committee’s accomplishments in the 2011. He said that in every area of the Committee’s jurisdiction – including communications – it has passed legislation to promote the American economy. “Every Subcommittee and every Member has been involved in this effort,” he said.

On April 8, 2011, the House approved H.J.Res. 37, a resolution that will overturn the Federal Communication Commission’s “network neutrality” rules. The bill, authored by Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, rejects these controversial regulations that put the government in charge of how network traffic is managed and what kinds of partnerships can be formed to serve consumers. Network neutrality rules may cost between 500,000 and 700,000 jobs by 2015, and result in up to 1.45 million fewer jobs in the economy by 2020. Chairman Walden also introduced FCC reform legislation and the Jumpstarting Opportunity with Broadband Spectrum (JOBS) Act which authorizes the Federal Communications Commission to auction airwaves that will significantly expand the availability of wireless broadband for consumer use and produce $16.5 billion in proceeds for the federal taxpayer. In December, the bill was approved by the Communications and Technology Subcommittee and passed the House as part of H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011. Getting it to the President’s desk is a top priority for 2012.