WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, helped lead efforts to pass the Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act, H.R. 3309, which would make permanent the transparency reforms put in place by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairmen in order to make government more open and efficient.  H.R. 3309 passed the House with bipartisan support.

“As the communications industry continues to become more and more competitive, it is vital to eliminate the burdensome regulations that hamper new developments and innovation in the marketplace.  This legislation ensures that good government reforms are turned into law that holds government accountable to the taxpayers for the current Commission—and future administrations.

“As of last summer there were 1,351,898 consumer complaints, 5,328 petitions from industry stakeholders, and 4,034 license applications and renewals pending at the FCC for over two years.

“We have seen that the FCC does better when held accountable through deadlines.  The public must know how long to expect to hear from the FCC after filing a petition and Congress must hold the FCC accountable to meeting the set deadlines.

“The Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act requires cost-benefit analyses for economically significant rules, where increased scrutiny is most necessary.  The legislation requires performance measures for programs where the FCC collects and spends $100 million or more of federal funds.

“The Energy and Commerce Committee has held several hearings and heard directly from the stakeholders in order to hear from all viewpoints.  This is neither a Republican issue nor a Democrat issue – this is about improving the openness and accountability of our government.  Both Congress and the FCC have a responsibility to the taxpayers to improve based upon these lapses in order to prevent them from reoccurring in the future.”

Click here to watch Congressman Kinzinger’s floor speech on the Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act.

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