Free-Market Groups Criticize Barton Legislation

A number of free-market groups penned a letter Monday to House Energy and Commerce Chairman Barton to highlight their concerns with draft telecommunications language on video franchising, National Journal’s Technology Daily reported.

The coalition of groups — which includes the American Conservative Union, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, Discovery Institute, FreedomWorks and National Taxpayers Union — told Barton that they are displeased with language on “network neutrality.”

“The language is nebulous and potentially detrimental, and the draft’s arcane choice of words could result in uncertainty, overregulation, litigation and privacy violations,” the groups wrote.

The coalition said it would like the legislation to “clarify the scope and breadth of power granted to the FCC.”