Pressure builds from GOP to delay Internet domain transition

Pressure is building among a core group of Republican lawmakers to delay a transition of the Internet domain name system, which will involve the US government handing off oversight responsibilities. Sen Marco Rubio (R-FL) urged his colleagues to sign a letter to the Obama Administration expressing concerns over the transition. He said more time is needed to snuff out unforeseen problems before the United States gives up its leverage. "While we still control the process and the timeline, once we move past a certain point, there is no leverage to pull back," Sen Rubio said during a Senate hearing. "If this thing goes off the rails — if it in fact gets used in a nefarious way — what leverage do we have to pull back on it?"

Other Republicans on the Senate Commerce Committee like Sens Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) expressed similar concerns: "Why do we need the transition?" Sen Johnson asked experts while testifying. Even Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) said a delay is not an "unreasonable proposal."