Senator Burns Sends Warning Shot Across ICANN’s Bow

Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT), who has taken the lead on issues concerning the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), first threatened to introduce legislation to clip ICANN’s wings, then stepped back and said he would wait and see how ICANN reforms itself. On June 10, 2002, two days before Burns’ Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space was to hold hearings on ICANN, he said he likely would introduce a bill requiring ICANN to give the U.S. government more influence in managing the domain name system or else face a revocation of its contract with the U.S. Commerce Department when it comes up for renewal in the fall. At the Subcommittee hearing, however, Burns said he was willing to hold off on legislation while he gathered additional information.