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FCC Republicans Refused To Give Congress Net Neutrality Documents (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The two Republican members of the Federal Communications Commission have refused to give Congress documents needed to complete an investigation into the FCC's net neutrality rule-making process, according to a lawmaker. "Your refusal to cooperate with the Committee's request is unacceptable, it obstructs our investigation, and it prevents the Committee from having a complete or accurate understanding of the circumstances surrounding this rulemaking," U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Maryland) wrote in a letter to FCC Commissioners Ajit Pai and Michael O'Rielly yesterday. There are "serious questions" about "Pai's efforts to organize opposition to the proposed rule with outside parties," Cummings' office said in a related press release. "Pai previously worked as associate general counsel for Verizon, one of the major opponents of the open Internet policy, and he reportedly 'enjoys the support of conservative think tanks like the Phoenix Center, the Free State Foundation and TechFreedom,'" the press release said. O'Rielly wrote an op-ed on the net neutrality rules in 2014, but only after he "sought edits on [the] draft op-ed from three individuals outside the FCC with professional interests that could be affected by the rule," the press release said. The Republican lawmakers claimed that President Obama had "an improper influence" over the FCC's decision and demanded documentation of all communication between FCC personnel and the White House, as well as calendar appointments, visitor logs, and meeting minutes related to meetings with the White House, plus all internal documents discussing the views and recommendations of the White House. They also asked for all documents and e-mails related to views of FCC personnel about the net neutrality proceeding. A Cummings staff member told Ars that the "request has the backing of the full committee and all the enforcement mechanisms the committee has, including issuing a subpoena." The committee has schedule a hearing for September 27 on the status of outstanding document requests to different federal agencies, and could seek updates on the requests to the two Republican FCC commissioners at this hearing, a Democratic aide for the Oversight Committee also said.
Srsly, why isn't this considered an acceptable option to this crap? It seems to happen every other month with each party simply refusing to give documents and testimony to investigating committees, then everyone bitches and moans and lets it go.
Why are there not more findings of Contempt of Congress, and why is Contempt of Congress seemingly punished with a slap on the wrist?
Don't threaten to daydream about thinking about maybe issuing a subpoena.
Issue the fucking subpeona. When he doesn't immediately comply, charge him with inherent contempt of congress and have the sergeant-at-arms drag him forcibly in front of the committee to answer questions and jail him if he doesn't comply.
Congress really ought to build a Plexiglas jail cell in the Capitol visitor center specifically for government officials who refuse to recognize the subpoena authority of congress. Nothing would compel their compliance more than knowing that the alternative outcome may be high visibility detention facility where tourists come to learn about the many powers of the US Congress.
No matter where you are on the political spectrum, you have to admit to the obstructionism which the Republicans have used over the last 8 years.
This has effectively meant that nothing has been done (mostly) except the bare minimum, for the last 8 years.
The really amusing (read: evil) part of this is that these are the same crowd who then complain that "government can't do anything". Well, duh... it's a goddamn self-fulling prophecy if they're the ones in power and do nothing.
These clowns should get held in contempt of Congress and held without bail at Club Fed until they cough up the records.
Just imagine if these guys were Democrats... imagine the GOP uproar...
Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
For the first half of those eight years, Democrats controlled the house and senate and white house.
So why should I admit to something that never happened? Why would you ask that people admit to an obvious lie?
Is this total ability to believe a lie something that has infected Democrats universally? I mean you would think it would be just a handful like Hillary but as you show, it seems to be the entire party that is corrupted absolutely to where they no longer will believe anything that is not a lie...
For something more recent, was it Republicans or Democrats that were blocking Zika funding. HMM!
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley