[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. ____________________