House Democrats are pushing for an AT&T/Time Warner oversight hearing on their side of the aisle, but a committee spokesperson said there were currently no plans for a hearing.
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), ranking member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), ranking member of the Communications Subcommittee, sent a letter to the full committee and subcommittee chairs, Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Greg Walden (R-Ore.), asking for a hearing.
"As more consumers go mobile, the demand for content will continue. All of this activity raises important questions about the overall effects on programs, choices, and prices,” Pallone and Eshoo wrote in their letter. “Our role in the Energy and Commerce Committee is to provide oversight of these markets and to gain better insight on the impact on consumers. Now is the time to take the opportunity to explore these issues.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee announced it was holding a hearing Dec. 7 on the proposed deal. No word from the Senate Commerce Committee at press time about when or whether they were following suit, given that they are the committee of primary jurisdiction.
“We will continue to closely monitor the developments but don’t plan on holding a hearing at this time,” said a spokesman for the committee majority.
