House of Representatives passed net neutrality legislation in April, but Leader McConnell refuses to bring bill for a vote

This week marks two-year anniversary of Trump FCC’s wrongheaded decision to repeal net neutrality

Washington (December 10, 2019) – Today, Senators Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) took to the floor of the Senate to demand an immediate vote on the Save the Internet Act, legislation that reverses the disastrous repeal by President Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of critical net neutrality protections. The Save the Internet Act enshrines the three legacy net neutrality principles – no blocking, no throttling and no paid prioritization – and empowers the FCC to prohibit unjust, unreasonable and discriminatory practices. The legislation codifies the FCC’s 2015 Open Internet Order in a similar manner to last year’s Congressional Review Act (CRA) introduced by Senator Markey that passed the Senate with bipartisan support. The Save the Internet Act is co-sponsored by 46 Senate Democrats.

“The Senate already once has stood up to President Trump’s special interest agenda that wants to block, slow down, or discriminate against content online just to charge Americans more on their cable and internet bills,” said Senator Markey. “That’s why Leader McConnell is refusing to bring the Save the Internet Act for a vote – because it will pass. The Save the Internet Act does exactly what the American people want: it restores the rules that ensure families aren’t subject to higher prices and slower internet speeds, all so the big internet providers can pump up their profits. It’s time Leader McConnell stops his obstruction and brings this important bill for a vote.”

“It is long past time for the Senate to vote on Save the Internet Act, something our colleague from Massachusetts has been a leader on,” said Senator Cantwell. “Our bill would restore the protections for a free and open internet by the Obama FCC in 2015, which would say no blocking, throttling, or paid prioritization to be allowed.”

“Ajit Pai and Donald Trump are opposed to that kind of internet freedom, so they took it away. They decided that once you pay for access to the internet, you should get to go where Big Cable wants, when Big Cable wants, and how Big Cable wants,” said Senator Wyden. “Without net neutrality, you’re heading in a direction where consumers pay a LOT more for entertainment and information, and small businesses don’t have a prayer of competing with the big guys online.”

In October, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C Circuit issued its opinion that affirmed that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) acted lawfully when it repealed the Open Internet Order.

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