House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman's (Calif.) endorsement of reclassification could represent a dramatic change in the net-neutrality debate, observers said on Wednesday. 

A committee effort to introduce a bill this week stalled as Republicans said they would not support it. Waxman subsequently threw his weight behind Title II reclassification of broadband services if the committee proves unable to make progress on bipartisan legislation.

The endorsement is dramatic because observers on all sides of the equation have questioned whether FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski would be bold enough to move on his own proposal.

He proposed Title II reclassification five months ago but failed to move ahead as missives poured into the FCC this summer from members who oppose the plan.

But an endorsement from a key Democratic leader could be a game-changer, particularly if his Senate counterpart takes a similar stance, according to several observers.

"I think [Waxman's endorsement] gives [Genachowski] a fair amount of political cover," said Paul Glenchur, an analyst with Potomac Research Group.

"You still have a majority of members who aren't backing reclassification, but if he has the support of the leadership on the House and Senate Commerce Committees, it gives him some air cover if he wants to move ahead."

House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (Calif.) said Wednesday afternoon that if efforts to create bipartisan broadband legislation fail, the Federal Communications Commission should move broadband businesses under Title II of the Communications Act, a possibility phone and cable companies strongly oppose.

" If our efforts to find bipartisan consensus fail, the FCC should move forward under Title II.  The bottom line is that we must protect the open Internet.  If Congress can’t act, the FCC must," he said in a statement.

Waxman pointed to GOP members for foiling the legislative process, noting that he and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-Va.) worked with them on a legislative process that is halted after Republicans announced on Wednesday that they will not support the draft legislation.

Waxman said he will resume the legislative effort after the election when "cooler heads may prevail."

He also thanked stakeholders who worked with the committee to develop a draft bill.

"I want to thank all those with whom we worked intensively over the past month.  I particularly want to single out the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Public Knowledge, and the Center for Democracy and Technology for their steadfast advocacy on behalf of consumers and AT&T, Verizon, and the [NCTA] for their constructive engagement," he said.

Full statement is below.

Rep. Joe Barton announced Wednesday the he will oppose Rep. Henry Waxman's net neutrality bill, while expressing support for elements of the legislation backed by phone and cable companies.

Barton, the ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, described the legislative effort as a sign of opposition to FCC reclassification, which the agency could use to bolster its authority by moving broadband services under telephone strictures. 

The effort is a "tacit admission that the FCC is going down the wrong path," Barton said in his statement.

But Barton also said he had consulted with Republican leadership and members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and there is a "widespread view that there is not sufficient time to ensure that Chairman Waxman's proposal will keep the Internet open without chilling innovation and job creation."

Barton also said that if Congress wants to take reclassification off the table, one of the the provisions of the draft bill and the basis for phone and cable company support, it should do so without give-aways to net-neutrality proponents.

“It is not appropriate to give the FCC authority to regulate the Internet. If the Congress wants to prevent the FCC reclassifying internet service under Title II it should go ahead and do so without qualification," he said.

House aides have previously said that Waxman may be less likely to introduce the bill without some Republicans on board. 

Nothing has changed that newly thwarts reclassification in any legal way, and net-neutrality proponents will likely take the devolving legislative attempt as an indication that it's all the more important the FCC should move.

And, there is still the possibility that Democratic committee leaders could endorse an FCC-based approach now that a legislative solution seems so unlikely.

Barton's full statement is below. 

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski announced Wednesday that two new senior staff members will be joining the FCC's media and telecommunications bureaus.

“These talented individuals bring a wealth of experience in the communications and technology sectors,” Genachowski said. “They will play key roles in advancing the FCC’s goals of promoting a vibrant media landscape and leading the world in 21st-century broadband communications.”

Michelle Carey will become deputy chief of the media bureau, where she will help shape the bureau’s policies on competition in the video content market. Prior to joining the FCC, she was senior adviser to Administrator Lawrence Strickling at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), where she helped with the implementation of the $4.4 billion Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.

Carey previously worked at the FCC as senior legal adviser to then-Chairman Kevin Martin and as deputy chief of the wireline competition bureau. She earned both her B.A. and J.D from Georgetown University.

In addition, Michael McKenzie will become deputy chief of the wireless telecommunications bureau and senior adviser on new technology. McKenzie will oversee the division that manages spectrum and help provide overall strategic direction for the bureau. McKenzie was most recently a general manager at Microsoft working on enterprise cloud-computing services. He graduated from the University of Virginia for undergrad and Harvard for law school.

The House approved a bill late Tuesday that would make it easier for the deaf and blind to have access to television, the Internet, smartphones and other communications technologies.

The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act would update the accessibility requirements of the Communications Act to take into account new Web-based technologies. The Senate passed the bill in August behind the leadership of Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.). President Obama is expected to sign it into law.

“Passage of this bill is a landmark achievement in the fight for equal access to technology for all Americans," said Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), the bill's author. “Two decades ago, Americans with disabilities couldn’t get around if buildings weren’t wheelchair-accessible; today it’s about being Web-accessible.”

Three Republican House aides now say House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member Joe Barton (Texas) will not support a possible net-neutrality bill. An announcement is expected soon.

The possibility of significant GOP support for a bill from Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (Calif.) is quickly shrinking.

The majority side of the committee did not respond to requests for comment on whether the bill will be introduced without major Republican support.

A Republican aide said Wednesday that an increasing number of GOP members have expressed with certainty that they will not support Democrats' possible net-neutrality bill.

Republican opponents of the bill spent the morning working colleagues on the issue and urging them not to stray from a consistent stance over the last decade in opposition to net regulations. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), the first member to speak out against the legislation and a member of the House Communications Subcommittee, worked with other GOP members to grow the opposition.

GOP members will begin announcing their opposition to the bill as soon as this afternoon, the source said.

A lack of Republican support could prevent Chairman Henry Waxman (Calif.) from introducing the bill, House aides have previously said.

One Economy, a non-profit that works to bring technology to low-income people, has chosen Kelley Dunne as its new president. He will assume the role at the end of the year.

Dunne previously held positions at One Point Communications, Verizon and AT&T/Bell Labs. At Verizon, he launched the company's rural broadband project. He also founded DigitalBridge, a wireless operator.

He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps as an enlisted service member and an officer.

Rey Ramsey is the board chairman and co-founder of One Economy and also the head of TechNet.

The Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) awarded $50 million in grants on Wednesday aimed at five research labs that study everything from earthquakes to nanotechnology.

The awards are part of the NIST construction grant program and will go towards building or expanding research facilities in California, Maine, Michigan, Nevada and New York. The competition was first announced in February and NIST chose from more than a hundred proposals based on technical merit, design of the facility, and the need for fundings.

“Strengthening research and development in the United States is critical to our ability to create jobs and remain competitive,” Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. “These construction grants will help the U.S. produce world-leading research in science and technology that will advance our economic growth and international competitiveness.”

Rochester Institute of Technology received the largest grant of more than $13 million to research green buildings and other sustainable technologies. $12.2 million will go to the University of Nevada, Reno for a lab expansion that will create the largest earthquake simulation facility in the U.S. while the University of Michigan will receive $9.5 million to study nanotechnology.

The Center for Ocean Health in Boothbay Harbor, Maine will get $9.1 million to study marine life and UCLA will use $6 million to consolidate three separate facilities into one research center for nanotechnology and microelectronics.