GOP lawmakers demand FCC make proposed Internet regulations public

GOP lawmakers in Congress want the public to see new network neutrality regulations before they become law.

Currently, people aren't expected to see the Federal Communications Commission's new regulations for Internet service providers until the FCC's five commissioners vote on them at the Feb 26 meeting. “Given the significance of the matter and the strong public participation in the FCC’s proceeding to date, we believe the public and industry stakeholders alike should have the opportunity to review the text of any proposed order or rules prior to FCC action,” Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD), House Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), and House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) said in a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. “Limited access to information is beneficial to no one -- not to the consumers directly affected by FCC action, not to the industries regulated by the rules and not to the commissioners seeking to make information decisions taking public feedback into consideration," they added.