WASHINGTON, DC - House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders today commented on a report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office regarding the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s work to transition oversight of the Domain Name system to the global internet community.
“We have pushed for thorough review and strong accountability measures before any proposed transition moves forward since this process began. This nonpartisan report confirms that the multistakeholder group working on the transition has evolved to address our concerns and is working to reach a conclusion that can stand the test of time. We only have one opportunity to get this right and this is too important to get done simply for the sake of getting it done," said full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), full committee Vice Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) - author of H.R. 805, the Domain Openness Through Continued Oversight Matters (DOTCOM) Act, which was overwhelmingly approved by the House in June.
The leaders continued, “Earlier this year, the House approved the DOTCOM Act to ensure that strong Congressional oversight continues throughout this process. GAO has recommended that NTIA develop a review process for this proposal and we applaud NTIA’s acceptance of this good-government approach. We look forward to working with NTIA to ensure that any proposal to replace the U.S. role in IANA ensures that the world continues to receive the benefits that U.S. stewardship has fostered and precludes capture of these functions by other governments or intergovernmental groups. NTIA should be commended for its thoughtful efforts so far, and we look forward to our continued oversight over their work."
