Senators Speak Out for Net Neutrality
In the past week, 25 senators have signed letters denouncing FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's plan to scrap rules that allow equal access to internet content. Among them are Maggie Hassan (pictured left) and Maria Cantwell.
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., left, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. (AMPed NH & Ronald Woan / CC 2.0)
By Dana Floberg / Free Press
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., left, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. (AMPed NH & Ronald Woan / CC 2.0)
It’s been a good week for Net Neutrality.
Trump and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai have been ramping up their attack on the open internet, but we’ve been ramping up our defense. Activists around the country are mobilizing, pro-Net Neutrality comments are flooding in and John Oliver skewered Pai’s proposal on his show on Sunday.
Meanwhile, our champions in Congress are standing with us: In the past week, a full quarter of the Senate has signed on to a series of powerful letters calling out Chairman Pai on his terrible plan to scrap the Net Neutrality rules.
On May 8, Sens. Maggie Hassan (D–New Hampshire) and Maria Cantwell (D–Washington) wrote a letter with more than a dozen women senators to express their grave concerns with Pai’s proposal.
“Net neutrality is particularly important to women,” they note, especially for women-owned businesses striving to compete on a level playing field and women organizers seeking to create positive change in their communities.
Sen. Ed Markey (D–Massachusetts) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D–New York) released a separate letter on May 9 along with several other colleagues that also opposes the Trump administration’s plan to gut Net Neutrality protections.
“Just a few years ago, four million voices told the FCC that both our economy and the free expression of ideas depend on the open internet,” the letter reads. “The same holds true today.”
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The U.S. can allow internet providers to play favorites but has no legal authority to stop bans by California and others, ruling says.
Add Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to the list of current and potential Trump administration members working to do away with an open internet for good.
Fort Collins, Colo., joins the growing list of those opting out of big telecom, much to the disdain of giants like Comcast.
If the movement for internet equality and justice were to put forward a vision for the 21st century, we could make it into a reality.
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