Henry Waxman Fires Off Letter to Glenn Britt Over Time Warner Cable Lobbyist’s Obamacare Jab
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, fired off a letter to Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt on Friday over an email that one of the company’s lobbyists apparently sent to appeal to the anti-Obamacare instincts of Republican staff in the House and the Senate.
The email reads, “Next time you think about helping the broadcasters — particularly the networks — read this…” It then links to a Weekly Standard article titled “NBC Launches Week of Programming to ‘Help’ Obamacare Succeed.”
Waxman asks in his letter to Britt, “Could you please explain why this email was sent and what purpose it serves?”
“A broadcaster has a public service obligation and should be informing viewers about the new options for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act,” he writes. “On the other hand, a cable company should not be pandering to the worst instincts of the reckless Republican extremists that seem to be running the House of Representatives.”
The email comes as the cable industry is trying to convince Congress to look at reforming retransmission consent rules, which they say favor broadcasters.
The e-mail is here, and Waxman’s letter is here.
A Time Warner Cable spokesman said they are “looking into the situation and will respond directly to the Congressman.”
The letter was posted on the website for the Democratic minority on the House Energy & Commerce Committee.
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