WASHINGTON-Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) has positioned himself to be chairman of the House telecom and Internet subcommittee when the new, Democratic-led Congress convenes in January, according to spokesman Israel Klein.
Markey, who chaired the telecom panel from 1987-1995 and is the senior-most member of the House Resources Committee, had until now kept his options open since Democrats regained control of the House and Senate in November’s midterm elections. Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) will be chairman of the parent Commerce Committee in the 110th Congress. Dingell and Markey worked closely on telecom legislation in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s.
Markey, a pro-consumer privacy lawmaker, has focused most recently on the need to keep the Internet an open platform free of discrimination and to promote competitive broadband policies. Net neutrality, a flashpoint in telecom reform debate this year, is expected to get stronger political backing when telecom legislation is reworked by Democrats next year. The mobile phone industry wants expanded federal pre-emption of state oversight included in telecom reform legislation.
