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Congressman Introduces Bill To Limit FCC Powers

Posted by timothy on from the but-regulators-are-perfect-and-righteous dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Representative Bob Latta (R-OH) introduced a bill on Wednesday that would limit the FCC's power to regulate ISPs in a supposed effort to keep the internet free. The bill's text is currently not available on the Library of Congress webpage or on congress.gov, but a purported copy has been spotted on scribd. Representative Latta's press release nevertheless indicates that the bill is intended to prevent the FCC from re-classifying ISPs as common carriers under Title II. Latta is one of the 28 representatives who lobbied the FCC earlier this month and were shown to have received double the average monetary donations given to all House of Representative members from the cable industry over a two year period ending this past December."

3 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. Good Sign by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If one of the largest telecom shills in congress is introducing anti-FCC legislation, this means the telecoms might be fearing a potential turn-around at the FCC.

    Just a month ago it seemed like this was all but impossible to think - maybe some home for REAL net neutrality rulings from the FCC?

    1. Re:Good Sign by stenvar · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I don't understand why Congress doesn't run afoul of the conflict of interest laws

      Conflict of interest laws apply to judges and civil servants because they are not elected.

      For elected officials, we have a much simpler and more direct way of getting rid of them: we vote for someone else.

      You want to get rid of some other district's elected representative because you don't like what they are saying or doing? Tough sh*t, democracy doesn't work like that.

    2. Re:Good Sign by fnj · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Almost all countries, socialist or not, are riddled with corruption. It is a human characteristic for humans in a position of power to fall into corruption.

      But I'll tell you one country which is not rotting from the head. You're not going to like it, because it is socialist. I am talking about the Republic of Uruguay; specifically of President José Mujica. He is an almost unique example of an uncorrupt leader of a nation. He declined to take up residence in the presidential palace and lives instead on an austere farm and cultivates flowers there. His transportation? Not the armored rolling palace of an Obama, but a 1987 VW beetle! His net worth on taking office was $1800, and he donates 90% of his presidential salary to the public welfare. He lives on the remaining $800 a month.

      He has also overseen the legalization of marijuana, which Obama is too corrupt to do.

      So I'm not sure I can show you a country, socialist or not, which is not sorrupt, but I sure can show you a socialist leader who is not corrupt.