Lawmakers: US plan to 'Internationalize' Internet May be Unconstitutional

Key members of congress sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office last week claiming that President Obama's plan to "internationalize" the Internet may be unconstitutional, the Washington Examiner reports.

The letter, signed by the chairmen of both congressional judiciary committees, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va; presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., noted that plan raised questions about the administration's "authority to transfer possession and control of critical components of the Internet's infrastructure to a third party."

Justifying their letter to the GAO, the lawmakers also mentioned that the constitution says "Congress has the exclusive power 'to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States.'"

And, according to the Washington Examiner, the Internet has been operated by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration under contract with the Department of Commerce since 1997.

Despite the department's plans to transfer its management rights to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, an international agency, by this Wednesday, a summer announcement halted this effort until roughly June 30 next year.

In order to accurately and thoroughly respond to the lawmakers letter, the Washington Examiner notes that they did not set a deadline giving the GAO time to "conduct both significant audit work and complex legal analysis."

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