[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 19]
[House]
[Pages 26369-26373]
[From the U.S. 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 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,

[[Page 26370]]

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 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

[[Page 26371]]

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 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.

[[Page 26372]]

  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 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.

[[Page 26373]]

  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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