There were no secret instructions from the White House.
— Tom Wheeler, FCC chairman, on his drafting of now-approved net neutrality rules. In a hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today, Wheeler defended his agency s independence amid partisan debate on net neutrality. Opponents of the FCC rules have accused the Federal Communications Commission of taking orders from the White House because President Obama weighed in and called for strong net neutrality rules last year, while the agency was considering the rules. The rules — which ban blocking, throttling and paid prioritization of Internet access — passed in a 3-2 vote last month.
Opponents of the rules include Internet access providers and many Republicans, who say the regulations will hinder innovation and investment. In today s hearing, Wheeler said he found it telling that an interesting result of the president s statement was the absence of a reaction from the capital markets.
Photo: FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler speaks during the net neutrality hearing Feb. 26, 2015. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)
