Conservative Groups Vow Continued Push for IANA Transition Delay

Two conservative groups said they're continuing to push Congress to delay the planned Internet Assigned Numbers Authority switch, which is to occur Saturday. Senate Republicans last week introduced language for a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government after FY 2016 expires Friday that didn’t include proposed language that would delay the move beyond the expiration date (see 1609220067). The tech sector strongly backed the transition, with Intel CEO Brian Krzanich and others saying the transition will aid American innovation (see 1609260045). But it’s “troubling that the Senate has failed to include language prohibiting this transfer of power,” said Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint in an opinion piece Monday on Heritage news arm The Daily Signal: The transition “is quite simply reckless, but it will happen unless Congress intervenes. Absent specific instruction otherwise from Congress, the contractual relationship between the U.S. government and ICANN will cease” Saturday. Congress “must think long and hard about allowing Obama to give away the internet -- because right now, that’s what he’s on track to do,” DeMint said. “Congress has the power to stop this. Will it?” American Center for Law and Justice Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow separately said the group is still working with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and 10 other GOP senators to delay the transition. “The internet has continued to be free because of the United States’ continuing partnership with [ICANN], maintaining control and ensuring that cyberspace is free and secure, Sekulow said in a blog post Monday. “Unless we act this week, our Internet is in danger. In an era in which state-sponsored hackers in Iran, Russia, North Korea, and other authoritarian regimes are trying to target our elections, our financial information, and our national security, this fight matters.”