Will Net Neutrality bust the FCC’s budget?

Coverage Type: 

At a House Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee hearing, members heard another round of testimony from the dueling duo of network neutrality: Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler and FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai. It was the fourth hearing in seven days during which Republicans have put the FCC’s order to reclassify Internet service as a utility under intense questioning.

The FCC is asking Congress for a 21 percent increase in its budget to account for a move of its headquarters, for consolidation of its field offices, and to improve its information technology infrastructure. But Republicans aren’t convinced an increase is in order, given the amount of time the FCC devoted to an order that they don’t like instead of spending its budgeted resources on Congressionally-mandated priorities. “We have kept your funding low for a few years in hopes that limited funding would push you towards prioritizing the most important work of the agency,” said Subcommittee Chairman Ander Crenshaw (R-FL). Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-KS) asked about how the FCC will deal with cost of litigation “when the big dogs sue” over the net neutrality order. “We maintain a litigation staff at the agency because no matter what we decide and whatever issue people turn around as they have a right to, and ask the court to review it,” said Chairman Wheeler. “The litigation staff is in place and that litigation staff would be used to handle it.” Commissioner Pai suggested there would be other costs to the net neutrality order besides litigation. “There are subsequent rule makings, the FCC order tees up a number of new regulations that will need to be adopted, the adjudication of complaints that might be filed at the commission, as well as any advisory opinions the enforcement is called upon to issue,” he said.


Will Net Neutrality bust the FCC’s budget? Budget could be used as weapon against FCC (The Hill) Statement (Chairman Wheeler) Statement (Commissioner Pai) FY 2016 FCC Budget Request (FCC budget) New tactic in war on net neutrality: Strip FCC of enforcement funding (ars technica)