Federal Communications Chairman Julius Genachowski is among the candidates being considered to replace outgoing Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, whom President Obama is tapping to become the new U.S. Ambassador to China, according to a report in The Hill newspaper.
Genachowski, one of Obama's Harvard Law School chums, is widely viewed as politically ambitious. But it's not clear if his elevation to Obama's cabinet -- should it occur -- would represent a reward for a job well done at the FCC, or whether it would amount to kicking him upstairs following a tumultuous tenure at the communications regulator.
On the one hand, Genachowski fulfilled a key Obama campaign pledge by approving compromise rules designed to protect net neutrality, the principle that broadband service providers shouldn’t be able to interfere with or block web traffic, or favor their own services at the expense of smaller rivals.
On the other hand, there is virtually no constituency that Genachowski has not managed to upset over the rules, with the possible exception of the telecom giants, who initially greeted the rules. That didn't last long.
Verizon and MetroPCS barely waited until the ink was dry on the Genachowski's order before suing the FCC.
Many net neutrality advocates, meanwhile, don't think Genachowski's order went far enough, because it does not apply the open internet standard to wireless networks.
And Republicans in Congress have made no secret of their contempt for the FCC -- which they view as an activist government agency hellbent on "regulating the internet." Consistent with their "government is the problem," philosophy, many hard-line House Republicans apparently believe that cable and telecom giants like Comcast, Verizon and AT&T should regulate themselves.
On Wednesday, Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee dismissed an economic analysis of the net neutrality rules as inadequate. Energy and Commerce chairman Fred Upton had asked Genachowski for some kind of market rationale justifying the new rules.
Upton and his colleagues were not swayed by Genachowski's response, which pointed to several sections of the order that contain market analysis.
"Over the last several months, the FCC has failed to provide a compelling justification for its power grab," Upton said in a statement, which was also signed by Communications subcommittee chairman Greg Walden of Oregon and Vice Chairman Lee Terry of Nebraska, both Republicans.
"The analysis the FCC points to in its order does little more than summarize the comments of parties and provide conclusory statements," the lawmakers wrote. "The committee will continue to scour the referenced text for a glimmer of legitimate analysis, but frankly we expect more from an ‘expert’ agency."
For those of you keeping track at home, over their careers, Upton, Walden, and Terry have received a combined $196,600 in campaign contributions from AT&T, the most vociferous traditional opponent of net neutrality, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. AT&T is Upton's largest single donor, generously providing the congressman with $94,600 in campaign contributions over his career.
The three lawmakers said that the net neutrality order would stifle innovation, investments, and jobs.
Under the circumstances, Genachowski may be ready to move on, but he's got some competition. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk is also in the running to become Commerce Secretary, according to Reuters.
See Also:
- FCC Passes Compromise Net Neutrality Rules
- FCC Announces Net Neutrality Order for December Meeting
- FCC Net Neutrality Rules Slammed From All Sides
- Not So Fast! FCC Says Net Neutrality Lawsuits Filed Too Soon ...
- FCC Net Neutrality is a Regulatory 'Trojan Horse,' EFF Says
- Telecom Giants Cheer FCC Plan, Net Neutrality Advocates Aren't Amused
- FCC Chief Genachowski on Net Neutrality: Trust Me
- Verizon Files Suit Against FCC Net Neutrality Rules
- Genachowski Approved as FCC Chairman
- The Wired Interview: FCC Chair Julius Genachowski on Broadband, Google and His iPhone
