Washington (August 1, 2024) - Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), today issued the following statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit stayed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s rule reclassifying broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act and reinstating net neutrality protections:

“The Sixth Circuit’s stay will leave Americans without critical net neutrality protections and leave the Federal Communications Commission without its rightful authority over broadband. That is unacceptable. We need net neutrality to protect the free and open internet and ensure that internet gatekeepers cannot control what we see, who we talk with, and how we communicate online.”

On April 2, 2024, Senators Markey and Wyden led a letter to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel urging the FCC to finalize a strong net neutrality rule. In September 2023, Senators Markey and Wyden led 25 of their Senate colleagues in writing to the FCC urging it to reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act and restore net neutrality protections. Senators Markey and Wyden previously introduced the Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act, which would accurately classify broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act. In 2006, Senators Markey and Wyden introduced the first neutrality bills in the House of Representatives and Senate, respectively.

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