Congressional Record, Volume 151 Issue 152 (Wednesday, November 16, 2005)

[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 152 (Wednesday, November 16, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H10332-H10336]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE CONGRESS REGARDING OVERSIGHT OF THE
INTERNET CORPORATION FOR ASSIGNED NAMES AND NUMBERS

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 268) expressing the sense of the
Congress regarding oversight of the Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers.
The Clerk read as follows:

H. Con. Res. 268

Whereas the origins of the Internet can be found in United
States Government funding of research to develop packet-
switching technology and communications networks, starting
with the ``ARPANET'' network established by the Department of
Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency in the 1960s and
carried forward by the National Science Foundation's
``NSFNET'';
Whereas in subsequent years the Internet evolved from a
United States Government research initiative to a global tool
for information exchange as in the 1990s it was
commercialized by private sector investment, technical
management and coordination;
Whereas since its inception the authoritative root zone
server--the file server system that contains the master list
of all top level domain names made available for routers
serving the Internet--has been physically located in the
United States;
Whereas today the Internet is a global communications
network of inestimable value;
Whereas the continued success and dynamism of the Internet
is dependent upon continued private sector leadership and the
ability for all users to participate in its continued
evolution;
Whereas in allowing people all around the world freely to
exchange information, communicate with one another, and
facilitate economic growth and democracy, the Internet has
enormous potential to enrich and transform human society;
Whereas existing structures have worked effectively to make
the Internet the highly robust medium that it is today;
Whereas the security and stability of the Internet's
underlying infrastructure, the domain name and addressing
system, must be maintained;
Whereas the United States has been committed to the
principles of freedom of expression and the free flow of
information, as expressed in Article 19 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, and reaffirmed in the Geneva
Declaration of Principles adopted at the first phase of the
World Summit on the Information Society;
Whereas the U.S. Principles on the Internet's Domain Name
and Addressing System, issued on June 30, 2005, represent an
appropriate framework for the coordination of the system at
the present time;
Whereas the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers popularly known as ICANN, is the proper organization
to coordinate the technical day-to-day operation of the
Internet's domain name and addressing system;
Whereas all stakeholders from around the world, including
governments, are encouraged to advise ICANN in its decision-
making;
Whereas ICANN makes significant efforts to ensure that the
views of governments and all Internet stakeholders are
reflected in its activities;
Whereas governments have legitimate concerns with respect
to the management of their country code top level domains;
Whereas the United States Government is committed to
working successfully with the international community to
address those concerns, bearing in mind the need for
stability and security of the Internet's domain name and
addressing system;
Whereas the topic of Internet governance, as currently
being discussed in the United Nations World Summit on the
Information Society is a broad and complex topic;
Whereas it is appropriate for governments and other
stakeholders to discuss Internet governance, given that the
Internet will likely be an increasingly important part of the
world economy and society in the 21st Century;
Whereas Internet governance discussions in the World Summit
should focus on the real threats to the Internet's growth and
stability, and not recommend changes to the current regime of
domain name and addressing system management and coordination
on political grounds unrelated to any technical need; and
Whereas market-based policies and private sector leadership
have allowed this medium the flexibility to innovate and
evolve: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
(1) it is incumbent upon the United States and other
responsible governments to send clear signals to the
marketplace that the current structure of oversight and
management of the Internet's domain name and addressing
service works, and will continue to deliver tangible benefits
to Internet users worldwide in the future; and
(2) therefore the authoritative root zone server should
remain physically located in

[[Page H10333]]

the United States and the Secretary of Commerce should
maintain oversight of ICANN so that ICANN can continue to
manage the day-to-day operation of the Internet's domain name
and addressing system well, remain responsive to all Internet
stakeholders worldwide, and otherwise fulfill its core
technical mission.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Upton) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Boucher) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton).

General Leave

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on this legislation and insert extraneous material.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 268. As a
cosponsor of this resolution, I want to thank Mr. Doolittle, Mr.
Boucher, and Mr. Goodlatte for their bipartisan leadership in
introducing it. I also want to thank my chairman, Chairman Barton, and
the House leadership for their willingness to expedite the
consideration of this resolution on the floor this afternoon.
Today's Internet has resulted in a flow of information and commerce
to the farthest reaches of the globe that was not imaginable even a
little more than a decade ago. The Internet has evolved into the
greatest global communication the world has ever seen, precisely
because we have kept it free from the heavy hand of government control.
Currently, a private, nongovernmental, nonprofit organization called
the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN,
regulates and manages the Domain Name System under which IP addresses
and registration of top-level domains like ``dot-org,'' ``dot-com,''
and ``dot-gov'' are assigned. ICANN operates under a contract through
the Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce, and this
relationship stems from the U.S. Government's original development and
funding of what has become the Internet. While not everyone may agree
with every decision that ICANN has made over the years, including
myself, it is a model for Internet governance that has served the
global Internet community quite well.
However, some countries have wanted to radically alter the way in
which the Internet is governed. Rather than maintaining the current
nongovernmental system and working to improve that successful model,
these countries sought to scuttle ICANN and put the U.N. in charge.
Putting the U.N.'s international governmental bureaucracy in charge of
the Internet would have a disastrous consequence for the functioning
and operation of the global free flow of information and commerce.

{time} 1345

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that it is incumbent
upon the U.S. and other responsible governments to send clear signals
to the marketplace that the current structure of oversight and
management of the Internet's domain name and addressing service works
and will continue to deliver tangible benefits to Internet users
worldwide.
In the future, as well, the authoritative root server should remain
physically in the U.S., and the Secretary of Commerce should maintain
oversight of ICANN so that ICANN can continue to manage the day-to-day
operation of the Internet's domain name and addressing system well and
remain responsive to all Internet stakeholders worldwide and otherwise
fulfill its core technical mission.
Mr. Speaker, last night I was very pleased to learn that our
government's superb team at the World Summit on the Information Society
in Tunisia successfully negotiated an agreement which was a complete
vindication of the principles embodied in this very resolution before
us today and is our government's position.
My understanding is that the agreement was unanimous among the more
than 100 countries participating in the process, which means that the
global consensus is now consistent with these principles as well. I
want to especially commend our Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Gutierrez,
originally from Michigan, I might add; Assistant Secretary for
Communications and Information, Michael Gallagher; Fiona Alexander, the
Office of International Affairs; and many others at the Commerce
Department and the NTIA.
I also want to commend our Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice;
State Department Ambassador David Gross; Richard Beaird; Sally Shipman;
and many other wonderful, dedicated, hard-working staff members at the
Department of State.
Mr. Speaker, to paraphrase from what Winston Churchill once said
about democracy, it has been said that ICANN is the worst form of
Internet governance, except all the others that have been proposed.
Mr. Speaker, I would urge all my colleagues to support this
resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOUCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 4 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to partner today with the gentleman
from California (Mr. Doolittle) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Goodlatte) with whom I have the privilege of co-chairing the
Congressional Internet Caucus in authoring this resolution, which will
express our view that the Internet remain open, available for all to
use, global and seamless.
It expresses the sense of the Congress that the United States has
been a good steward in its management of the root server and the system
for Internet domain name assignment.
We carry out this mission by entrusting day-to-day decision making
and management to a private nongovernmental, not-for-profit corporation
known as ICANN. The Internet address list is kept up to date, new
domain names are assigned as they are needed in a fair and an equitable
and predictable manner.
No one has demonstrated any problem with the way this system
operates. No one has asserted that a needed domain name has been
withheld and not assigned. There are no examples of ICANN, or the U.S.
Department of Commerce, which has oversight responsibility, having
acted in any way inappropriately.
As a result of efficient and even-handed American management, the
Internet has become a global pathway of instant communications, which
has spurred economic growth, improved the quality of people's lives and
strengthened democratic institutions here in this Nation and across the
world. Citizens of many nations in the lesser-developed world rightly
say that they aspire to better access to computers in their homes or in
community centers where computers would be available to all.
They rightly ask that Internet service providers bring the Internet
and all that it offers to their localities. They rightly urge that
basic dialup services be upgraded to broadband where only the most
basic form of Internet access is available today.
None of these legitimate aspirations are related in any way to the
manner in which ICANN assigns domain names and updates the global
Internet address system. A change in these critical management
functions would do nothing to expand Internet availability deeper into
the developing world.
Unfortunately, the U.N. Summit on the Information Society, which
began in Geneva, as a forum for discussing ways to bring Internet
access to developing nations, over time morphed into a forum focusing
on Internet governance and specifically focusing on management of the
well-functioning domain assignment system and the Internet address
management work of ICANN.
Fortunately, in Tunisia yesterday, a sensible outcome was achieved.
Any change in Internet management was put aside in favor of the
creation of an international forum where other kinds of Internet-
related concerns can be discussed, perhaps including ways to bring the
Internet to more of the world's population, and to address Internet
problems that are common to all Internet users, including viruses, spam
and security-related matters.
This outcome is a victory for Internet functionality. It is a
validation of the careful role the United States has

[[Page H10334]]

played and will continue to play in management of the global address
system. It is a reflection of the skill exhibited by our ambassador,
David Gross, who led the American team at the summit in negotiating
with many who have deep-seated disagreements over aspects of American
foreign policy.
I want to congratulate Ambassador Gross for what he has achieved. I
congratulate ICANN and the U.S. Department of Commerce on a job well
done, which enabled the outcome in Tunisia.
I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle) and the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) for their leadership on this
measure which describes the role that our Nation plays in Internet
address management and urges that role be maintained.
I urge adoption of the resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Utah
(Mr. Cannon), cosponsor of the bill.
Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Upton) for his leadership on this issue.
I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 268, which seeks to remind
the world of the obvious: The Internet has revolutionized the way
business is done here and throughout the world. It has created new
industries, revitalized struggling industries and has helped to open
new markets for American goods. It allows a small business in Utah to
compete on a global scale by marketing, selling and delivering products
anywhere in the world. It has done so with minimal government
intrusion.
From my home State of Utah, international trade is our fastest-
growing sector, and one of the greatest facilitators of this is the
Internet. Nearly three in four of Utah households own a computer, a
higher percentage than in any other State, and 63 percent are online.
That is about the fifth highest rate of Internet usage in the country.
The Internet has become the greatest ally of our small entrepreneurs.
Companies like 1-800-Contacts and Overstock.Com make their home in Utah
and are able to sell anywhere in the country and in the world. This
empowerment is not just felt in Utah. After $1 trillion of private
investment in the Internet, it is no longer just a toy; it is the
backbone of the American economy. Today, nearly half a billion dollars
in commerce happens every day on the Internet. It is critical
infrastructure, and we must do everything in our power to ensure its
stability and security.
This resolution has become even more important as the United Nations
is considering proposals to radically change the way the Internet is
managed. A group of nations, including China, North Korea and Iran, are
pushing for a U.N. Security Council-like organization to govern the
Internet. This new bureaucratic nightmare would replace the private-
public partnership that so successfully manages the Internet
infrastructure today through a nonprofit corporation called Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Number, ICANN.
I am pleased that, last night, delegates at the U.S. summit ignored
those calls to turn ICANN over to less-developed nations and ensured
for the present, at least, that the United States will control the
global Internet. This is just the first battle. The battle and security
of our electronic economy can never be left to a tie-breaking vote by
Kim Jong-Il.
I urge my colleagues to vote for H. Con. Res. 268. The resolution of
the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle) sends a strong message to
the rest of the world about the importance of free and unfettered
Internet to our Nation's businesses and to the proliferation of freedom
and to self-determination around the world.
Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record a letter I wrote in October to
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging her to resist this
internationalization of the Internet.

Congress of the United States,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC, October 20, 2005.
Hon. Condoleezza Rice,
Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC.
Dear Madam Secretary: The final report of the United
Nations Working Group on Internet Government reveals
perfectly why its recommendations should be and will be
rejected. The report demonstrates beyond contradiction that
the Working Group and the United Nations itself is
dangerously disconnected from reality.
You are certainly aware, Madam Secretary, of the on-going
investigations of mismanagement by the United Nations and
rampant corruption in the Oil for Food program. You are
further aware of the fecklessness of United Nations
operations in the last few years. The organization's chaos
and budgetary uncertainties revealed by audit after audit are
a matter of public record.
In contrast, the Internet has flourished in an incredibly
short time into a powerful engine for human growth. Its
potential contributions to economic growth in less developed
countries dwarfs anything the United Nations could
conceivably provide, and even the direct foreign aid that the
United States and other advanced countries can marshal. In
fact, the Internet's proliferation is the direct result of
the hands-off management applied by the United States. There
is no other country on the face of the earth whose government
would have had the restraint to permit the freedom of thought
and action that has produced the present benefits and future
promise of the Internet.
Under the circumstances, it is nothing short of
preposterous to suggest that any aspect of management of this
amazing engine of knowledge and development be turned over to
bureaucrats under the sway and direction of some of the most
brutal and controlling tyrants in the world whose antipathy
to the free flow of information is pathological.
That a United Nations entity could make such a proposal and
expect it to be taken seriously is all the evidence one needs
that the United Nations is not fit to undertake the task.
I have no doubt that my appraisal of the situation
coincides with yours, and I urge you to express our feelings
as strongly as possible. In any event, you may count on my
opposition to any implementation of the Working Group's
report.
Sincerely,
Chris Cannon.

Mr. BOUCHER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), the distinguished chairman of
the House Agriculture Committee, who is co-chairman of the
Congressional Internet Caucus and one of the coauthors of this
resolution.
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Boucher) for yielding me time and for his leadership on this issue. I
rise in strong support of this bipartisan resolution, which I
introduced with the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle) and the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Boucher) to express the sense of Congress
supporting the current method of administering the Internet.
The Internet's domain name system is administered by the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, a private
nonprofit organization based in the United States that works closely
with the U.S. Department of Commerce. This privately-operated approach
fosters market principles and is the most efficient way to administer
the Internet's domain name system and root servers.
However, the United Nations, with the support of countries including
China, Iran and Cuba, released a report earlier this year, which
included proposals to take control of administration of the Internet
from the United States-based ICANN and give it to a bureaucratic U.N.
body. The European Union had also signaled that it would support having
an international body oversee the Internet.
The more governments and bureaucracies involved in running the
Internet's day-to-day operations, the more likely that red tape and
overly burdensome regulations will result. However, last night at the
World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis, Tunisia, the United
States struck a deal with the international community which ensures
that, for now, the administration of the Internet's core technical
functions remains within the private hands of ICANN with continued
oversight by the United States Department of Commerce. This appears to
be a big victory for the Internet, for free market principles and for
the free flow of information around the world.
While I am optimistic about the agreement that was reached yesterday
in Tunis, there is little doubt that some countries will continue to
push for more control of the Internet, so the United States must
continue to be vigilant. The United States is uniquely positioned to
protect the fundamental

[[Page H10335]]

principles of free press and free speech upon which the Internet has
thrived.
The U.S. Constitution guarantees these basic rights, and to cede
control of the Internet with countries, with at best questionable
records regarding these rights, would jeopardize the continued success
of the Internet and lead to significant restrictions on access to the
Internet's wealth of information.
House Concurrent Resolution 268 will send a strong message that the
United States is committed to the principles that have made the
Internet thrive.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) for his
management of this legislation as chairman of an important Energy and
Commerce subcommittee. I urge my colleagues to support this important
resolution.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman (Mr.
Hayes), a co-sponsor of the bill.
Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr.
Upton) for his time and for dealing with this issue.
Today I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 268
regarding oversight of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers. With over 1 billion users and counting worldwide, the Internet
has quickly become a critical place for individuals, business
communities and governments to share and distribute information.
Ranging from middle school students researching a paper, to small
business owners like Steve Earwood, running the Rockingham Dragway, and
using it to promote his business to Ukrainian bloggers that helped
start the Orange Revolution which swept Victor Yushenko into office,
the Internet has literally changed the world.
The Internet was developed in large part by U.S. government research
funding to develop new communications networks, starting with a network
created by the Department of Defense. Today the Internet is run by
private sector interests within the United States under the supervision
of a nonprofit entity formed by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Mr. Speaker, there was an initiative to put full control of the
Internet into the hands of the United Nations. That is a bad idea.
The freedom of the Internet that exists today will be transferred to
the discretion of countries like China, Syria, Cuba and Iran. Beyond
the concerns with freedom, there are concerns about the U.N. using its
control of the Internet as a means to impose new international taxes.
Yesterday, a favorable agreement was reached at the United Nations
world summit on the information society. However, there remains an
effort by some to create a global regulator of the Internet.

{time} 1400

Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution because we must maintain the
integrity of the Internet as this U.S.-developed product has changed
the world with its freedom of message and freedom of commerce. To put
it in NASCAR terms, if you are the fastest car on the track and leading
the race, don't touch it.
Mr. BOUCHER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Doolittle), the author of the bill, the original
sponsor.
Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from Michigan
(Mr. Upton) yielding me time and I appreciate the co-sponsors of this
bill who have spoken for it so forcefully.
I first became aware a few months ago that there was going to be an
attempt to wrest control of the Internet away from the United States,
and I felt very strongly that that would be to the disadvantage of all
the users of the Internet.
The United States, beginning back in the 60s, funded the research
that led to what is now the Internet as we know it. And it is really
one of the remarkable accomplishments, in my opinion, of humanity. It
is something that has affected the lives of almost everyone. It is
something that has promoted the free exchange of ideas around the
world, the free exchange of goods and commerce around the world. It is
something very precious to all of us that has really changed the way
that we live.
We have an excellent record as the steward of the Internet. There is
no one who has offered any evidence of any abuse whatsoever, and it is
very disturbing to me some of the nations that are calling for taking
this out of our hands are nations who have a poor record of human
rights, who desire to regulate significantly what the content of speech
can be. It is very troubling to me, for example, that one of the big
proponents of getting this into the hands of the U.N. would be China,
China which has a terrible record on freedom of speech and the Internet
which is imprisoning people for making inquiries that are forbidden on
the Internet.
For example, I indeed have an interesting list of forbidden words
they have. This is based on research done by U.S. researchers examining
China's record. Here are the words that trigger problems for you if you
are in China putting into the computer: democracy, Christian, Falun
Gong, human rights, multi-party, oppose corruption, underground church,
overthrow, Taiwan independence, Tiananmen, and traitor.
Mr. Speaker, it would be a tragedy to let control of the Internet go
to the United Nations. We have seen what they have done with the Oil-
for-Food program, for example, and the billions of dollars of scandal
involved there. There are people who want to tax the Internet. There
are people who want to get control of it for their own purposes. The
United States should remain the steward, not let the United Nations get
its hands on it.
I am encouraged by what happened in Tunis last evening. It is not a
guarantee. The United States Congress should vote for this resolution
and speak with one voice that we intend to maintain the Internet as it
has been governed heretofore, and I ask for support for this
resolution.
Mr. BOUCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.
Mr. Speaker, the outcome in Tunis is a victory for an open, globally,
seamless Internet. It is a strong validation of the thoughtful way in
which ICANN with oversight from our U.S. Department of Commerce has
managed the Internet address system.
In Tunis yesterday, a decision was made to create an international
forum that could be a discussion focus for issues relating to the
Internet that are common to all Internet users, including matters such
as spam, viruses and other security-related concerns. It seems to me
that the United States now should seize the opportunity of this new
international forum, the first meeting of which will take place in
Greece during the middle part of 2006, in order to enlist assistance
from other countries and achieve a number of very admirable goals. The
first of these is to encourage investment that will extend the Internet
into places where an Internet presence is not presently found, and in
particular into the developing world.
Secondly, these problems that are coming to all Internet usage can be
addressed in a way where we can enlist global participation in helping
to find answers. I look forward to working with Ambassador Gross,
others within the administration, and my colleagues in the Congress as
we undertake that work.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would urge all of my colleagues
on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation. Again, it is
bipartisan. It is the right thing to do. I would like to think that we
will have a very strong vote for it.
Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in
support of this concurrent resolution, which expresses the sense of
Congress that management of IP numbering and addressing should remain
in the hands of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers, under the oversight of the United States Department of
Commerce. This is an important resolution on one of the most pressing
issues facing the Internet today.
The Internet has become a truly global medium in no small part due to
the ``hands-off'' policies the United States has long followed in the
Internet space. By one estimate, there are more than 160 million
broadband Internet users worldwide. There are an estimated 1 billion
Internet users worldwide, of which the United States, the birthplace of
the Internet, constitutes less than one-fourth. More than a third of
Internet users live in Asia, and nearly

[[Page H10336]]

one third live in Europe. It has been our ``hands-off'' leadership in
the United States that has enabled the Internet to grow so dramatically
across the world.
The internationalization of the Internet is further evidenced by the
widespread availability of IP address allocations, the vast majority of
which are outside the United States. For IPv4 addresses, 33% went to
the Asia Pacific Region, 32% to North America, 31% to Europe, 3% to
South America and 1% to Africa. For IPv6, 56% of addresses went to
Europe, 23% to the Asia Pacific Region, 17% to North America, 3% to
Latin American and 1% to Africa. These figures clearly show that the
current mechanisms for oversight of Internet addressing and numbering
have led to an explosion of Internet usage not just in the United
States but worldwide.
Far from governing the Internet, the United States has followed what
can best be described as a policy of benign neglect. The Department of
Commerce plays no role in the internal governance or day-to-day
operations of ICANN. Rather, the relationship between the Department of
Commerce and ICANN is governed by contract, not regulation. The
Department of Commerce provides oversight simply to ensure that ICANN
fulfills its responsibilities under that agreement. The true policy-
making body here is ICANN, not the Department of Commerce. Moreover,
ICANN's role under that agreement is best described as creating an open
forum for technical coordination, to ensure the continued stability and
openness of the Internet.
What's needed now is not the abandonment of the ICANN's existing
management of IP addressing. Rather, what's needed is a continuation of
the policies that have made IP address and domain name management
stable, secure, efficient and open. At present, participation in ICANN
is open to all who share ICANN's mission of technical coordination.
ICANN holds public meetings throughout the year, and across the world.
ICANN's staff represents seven different countries and its Board
represents twelve nationalities. ICANN is already an international body
managing IP addressing and numbering--a private-sector, non-profit,
non-governmental international body that's been directly responsible
for fostering an open, stable, and worldwide Internet.
For all of these reasons, I took great pleasure in reading today that
negotiators from more than 100 nations agreed yesterday to leave ICANN,
under the oversight of the Department of Commerce, in charge of
managing the IP address and domain name systems. This multilateral
agreement represents a resounding validation of the role ICANN
continues to play, and a resounding validation of the resolution we are
considering here today.
I strongly urge my colleagues to support this important resolution,
and join me in voting in favor of it.
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res.
268, regarding oversight of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers. As we have been discussing here today, the foundational
structure of the Internet is under attack. But this attack is not from
cyber terrorists, or high school kids run amok. Rather this attack
comes from people who would like to impose the heavy hand of government
on a system that is the most powerful example of freedom we may have
ever seen.
How powerful? Here are a few statistics: More than 1 billion users
worldwide; more than half a trillion annual commercial transactions;
more than a trillion dollars in private investment; the largest source
of news reporting in the world; and the largest communications backbone
in the world.
But this amazingly powerful engine of commerce and freedom is being
attacked as not inclusive enough for the rest of the world.
These critics want to replace today's simple system with three new
quasi-governmental bodies to oversee the Internet and related public
policy issues. Ultimately, these bodies would rule on freedom of
speech, privacy, e-commerce, spam, cyber-security, and cyber-crime.
They would take the positions of China, Iran and Syria into account
when establishing standards for free speech. They would listen to Cuba
on questions of eCommerce. They would listen to Congo on questions of
cyber-crime.
There are those who have characterized this debate as being the U.S.
vs. the world. But in fact, this debate is about freedom from
government vs. government intervention.
I think the U.S. has shown great restraint in supporting an ICANN
whose functions are limited to just the most technical management
functions.
I urge my colleagues to join with me in sending a message to the
world that the Internet needs no U.N. ``Governance''. Freedom on the
Internet needs a light touch, not a heavy hand. Support H. Con. Res.
268 and support internet freedom from big government.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H. Con. Res.
268, which expresses the sense of the Congress regarding support for
the current oversight structure for the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
The Internet is the technological wonder of this generation.
Established as means for a very select few researchers and scientists
to share information, the Internet has developed into a powerful
research, business, and recreational tool that shapes the world in
which we live.
As lawmakers, we must ensure that we do nothing that will inhibit
further development and innovation of this marvelous system that we
call the World Wide Web. I fear that efforts to change the way the
Internet is governed may do just that. The current structure has been
in place for nearly 8 years. That structure includes the important work
done by ICANN. Since 1998 the number of Internet users has grown
tremendously in size both within the United States and throughout the
world.
This legislation affirms ICANN's stewardship during this time of
unprecedented technological innovation and change in the way we
communicate with friends, conduct business, and learn about the world
in which we live. For these reasons and others, I voice my strong
support for ICANN and this resolution.
An element of particular interest to my district, Guam, relates to
our inclusion in the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC)
Regional Internet Registry. Except for Guam, the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, all other U.S.
jurisdictions are included in the American Registry for Internet
Numbers (ARIN). This distinction in Regional Internet Registry
membership has presented several technical challenges for Internet
users in Guam. For instance, Internet users in Guam who wish to access
and download files from a website registered under ARIN are sometimes
restricted from doing so. Some websites have controls built around the
Regional Internet Registries to guard against intellectual property
rights infractions. In the case of Internet users in Guam, access is
restricted to some ARIN registered websites. These restrictions have
disrupted Internet commerce and limited participation of U.S. citizens
in Guam in Internet-based government services.
The Internet provides Guam with a vital link to the continental
United States. The Internet factors heavily in communication between
family members living on Guam and in the continental United States. The
Internet is also essential for firms on Guam wishing to conduct
business with firms located in the continental United States.
Furthermore, with the aid of the Internet, Guam's citizens can have
better and greater access to the Federal Government. I have written to
ICANN regarding the Regional Internet Registry issue and the challenges
that APNIC membership has presented for Internet users in Guam. With
the attention and oversight of the Department of Commerce, I hope this
and other issues affecting protocols for Guam-based servers and
Internet users can be resolved in a manner favorable to my
constituents. The continuance of Department of Commerce oversight of
ICANN management of the Internet presents us the best opportunity to
resolve these issues in a manner favorable to Guam. Therefore, I
support passage of H. Con. Res. 268.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Boozman). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res.
268.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will
be postponed.

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