Week ahead: Net neutrality fight

TUESDAY:

TAXES…The Senate Finance Committee holds a hearing Tuesday on whether the tax system supports job creation and efficiency. Tech companies are lobbying for changes to the tax code and say the current system prevents them from conducting more of their business in the U.S.

TECH INDUSTRY BRINGS TAX MSG TO D.C…Members of the TechNet association will lobby on that point this week in meetings with House and Senate leadership of both parties, as well as the administration. Over 50 TechNet representatives are flying in, including Cisco chief executive John Chambers, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner John Doerr, Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith, NASDAQ OMX Group executive vice president Bruce Aust and New York Stock Exchange executive vice president Scott Cutler.

WEDNESDAY:

NN hearing…The GOP effort to repeal net neutrality rules gets a House Energy and Commerce Communications subcommittee hearing. 

CHOPRA, GOOLSBEE, WEISER AT ITIF…A Wednesday discussion will focus on President Obama’s innovation policy. It will feature CTO Aneesh Chopra, CEA Chairman Austan Goolsbee, and NEC senior advisor Philip Weiser. 

PATRIOT ACT…A House Judiciary subcommittee holds a Patriot Act hearing.

INNOVATION AT HOUSE JUDICIARY…The IP Subcommittee holds a Wednesday hearing on “Driving American Innovation: Creating Jobs and Boosting our Economy.” 

TRADE REP ON THE HILL…Senate Finance has a Wednesday hearing on President Obama’s 2011 trade agenda, featuring U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk. 

CHINA…The House Foreign Affairs Committee holds a Wednesday hearing on “China’s Indigenous Innovation Trade and Investment Policies: How Great a Threat?” 

SPACE…On Wednesday, the Senate Commerce Committee holds a hearing about NASA. The panel will focus on programmatic challenges in the 21st century. 

SMALL BIZ…The Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee will mark up the Small Business Innovation and Small Business Technology Transfer Reauthorization Act on Wednesday.

THURSDAY:

SEN. KLOBUCHAR, REPS. EHLERS, GORDON AT ITIF…ITIF holds a discussion Thursday on U.S. competitiveness featuring Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.), and Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.). Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs will also speak. 

OSTP…The Senate Commerce Committee holds a nomination hearing about Philip Coyle on Thursday. Coyle was appointed by the White House to become associate director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. He previously served as the office’s associate director for national security and international affairs.

FCC…The FCC will hold a public forum Thursday on possible reforms to the commission’s registration system.

FRIDAY:

ISSA TURNS TO TECH…A (former) technology industry executive will look for ways to improve government through technology. House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (Calif.) will turn to familiar territory on Friday with a hearing focused on this issue.

NSF, NIST…The House Science Committee holds a Friday hearing on the FY2012 budget proposals for the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.