With link to bill<br><div style="word-wrap:break-word"><div>
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<div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">3/27/14 4:15 PM EDT</div><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div>
<p>A group of Republican lawmakers introduced a <a href="https://www.politicopro.com/f/?f=25211&inb" target="_blank">bill</a> to stop the Obama administration from giving up its oversight of essential Internet functions today.</p>
<p>The Commerce Department this month announced it would relinquish its contract authority over ICANN, the group that manages the Internet's domain name system. The move was blasted by some Republicans, who said it might give countries like Russia and China more control over the Internet.</p>
<p>The so-called DOTCOM Act, from Reps. John Shimkus, Todd Rokita and Marsha Blackburn, would halt that transition pending a report from the Government Accountability Office. The GAO report would analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the move, as well as the "national security concerns raised by relinquishing U.S. oversight," according to a news release. Reps. Joe Barton, Renee Ellmers and Bob Latta also co-sponsored the bill.</p>
<p>“We can’t let the Internet turn into another Russian land grab,” Blackburn said. “America shouldn’t surrender its leadership on the world stage to a ‘multistakeholder model’ that’s controlled by foreign governments. It’s imperative that this administration reports to Congress before they can take any steps that would turn over control of the Internet.”</p>
<p>Shimkus added, “We have to consider the long-term implications of relinquishing our oversight role because once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.”</p><p>A spokeswoman for the NTIA, the Commerce Department agency overseeing the process, did not immediately comment.</p>
<p><i>— Erin Mershon</i></p></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div><br><br><br>-- <br><div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><b>Carolina Rossini</b> </div>
<div style="color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><i>Project Director, Latin America Resource Center</i></div><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">
Open Technology Institute</div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#330099"><b>New America Foundation</b></font></div><div style="color:rgb(136,136,136);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.666666984558105px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">
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