Senator calls it the most important vote for the internet in history if U.S. Senate

Washington (May 16, 2018) – Today, Senator Edward J. Markey’s (D-Mass.) Congressional Review Act (CRA) Resolution of Disapproval passed the Senate in an historic vote of 52-47. Senator Markey was the Congressional leader in the fight to overturn the partisan decision of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to overturn the 2015 Open Internet Order, which the D.C. Circuit Court upheld in 2016.

The House of Representatives now has until the end of this Congress to pass the CRA resolution, which has been introduced by Congressman Mike Doyle (PA-14). It currently has 160 supporters, and House leadership has called on Speaker Paul Ryan (WI-01) to bring the resolution for an immediate vote.

“Today, the Senate took the most important vote on the internet in its history, and the American people won,” said Senator Markey, who introduced the first net neutrality bill in the House of Representatives in 2006. “This vote to keep net neutrality on the books is a major victory for consumers, for entrepreneurs, for small businesses, and for every family in America. With the passage of my CRA, the Senate has put the Trump administration on notice. And now, House Republicans will have a choice – be on the side of the American people or hold hands with President Trump and his big corporate cronies.  

“I thank the entire Senate Democratic Caucus for its support, as well as my Republican colleagues Senators Susan Collins, John Kennedy, and Lisa Murkowski for their courage in voting to support a free and open internet.”

In December 2017, the FCC voted to repeal the 2015 Open Internet Order, which the D.C. Circuit Court had upheld in 2016. The Open Internet Order prohibited internet service providers from blocking, slowing down, or discriminating against content online. Repealing the net neutrality rules could lead to higher prices for consumers, slower internet traffic, and even blocked websites. A recent poll showed that 86 percent of Americans do not approve of the FCC action to repeal net neutrality rules, including 82 percent of Republicans.

###