Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Lawmakers To Hold Tech Hearings Next Week

By Juliana Gruenwald
November 10, 2010 | 4:23 PM

Even though the hot issue of whether to renew expiring income tax cuts are expected to dominate, next week's lame-duck session of Congress will featuring at least two technology-related hearings.

The Senate Finance Committee announced Wednesday that its International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness Subcommittee would be holding a hearing Nov. 18 on international trade in the digital economy.

A spokesman for subcommittee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said the hearing will examine "the importance of keeping overseas markets for digital goods and services as open and fair as the U.S. market." He added that witnesses will discuss both the benefits of tech to the global economy and the challenges the tech sector faces abroad, such as censorship, discriminatory privacy practices and security concerns about cross-border data flows.

Those expected to testify at the Finance hearing include Computer and Communications Industry Association President and CEO Ed Black, Salesforce.com Senior Vice President Daniel Burton, Association for Competitive Technology Board President Mike Sax and Greg Slater, Intel's director trade and competition policy.

The Senate Commerce Committee also announced Wednesday that its Communications Subcommittee will be holding a hearing Nov. 17 on disputes over retransmission agreements between cable providers and broadcasters. The most recent spat between Fox and Cablevision led to a cutoff of Fox broadcast programming for Cablevision's customers in the New York area before the two sides reached an agreement late last month.

The committee did not release a list of witnesses expected to appear at the hearing.

UPDATED: The Senate Judiciary Committee said Wednesday that it will be holding a markup on Nov. 18 and among the items on the panel's long agenda is legislation (S. 3804) sponsored by Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., aimed at cracking down on online piracy and counterfeiting. A committee spokeswoman said while the panel hopes to get to the bill, it will first act on the 19 nominations on the agenda before it moves to the five bills it has listed for possible action.

Categories: 

Cable, Congress, Technology, Television, Trade
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Juliana Gruenwald

Tech Writer

E-Mail: jgruenwald@nationaljournal.com.


Juliana Gruenwald has been covering tech and telecom issues for more than a decade for National Journal, Interactive Week, BNA and Congressional Quarterly. This is her second stint with National Journal. She was recruited by NJ in 1998 to help launch its first tech policy publication, Technology Daily. She left in 2000 to cover international tech and telecom issues for Ziff Davis Media's Interactive Week magazine. She started her career at United Press International as the wire service's first Helen Thomas Intern. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. A Minneapolis native, she misses the lakes but not the cold.


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Adam Mazmanian

Tech Correspondent

E-Mail: amazmanian@nationaljournal.com.


Adam Mazmanian reports on technology for National Journal. He comes to NJ from SmartBrief, where he was a senior editor on the advertising, media and digital beats. Before moving to Washington, D.C., he worked as worked in New York City as an editor at AOL, About.com and the alternative newsweekly New York Press. He’s contributed book reviews, pop music criticism and film writing to Washington City Paper, the Washington Times, the Washington Post, Newsday, Architect Magazine and elsewhere. He lives in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C. with his wife and son.


Josh Smith

Tech Reporter

E-Mail: joshsmith@nationaljournal.com.


Josh Smith covers technology policy as a staff reporter for National Journal. He previously interned at National Journal Daily, a Senate press office, and the Deseret News in Salt Lake City where he covered the state legislature, courts, and crime. In 2009 he graduated with honors from Southern Utah University after managing an award-winning student newspaper as editor-in-chief. Josh has received state, regional and national awards for his political and policy reporting, including first place in CapitolBeat’s 2009 Best of Statehouse Reporting college competition. A native of drop-dead-gorgeous Utah, Josh lives in Virginia with his wife, Amber.