U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, led more than a dozen Democratic colleagues Thursday in announcing a push to reverse the Federal Communications Commission's controversial vote repealing Obama-era internet regulations.

Markey, who has been an outspoken critic of efforts to roll back the 2015 regulations, said he and 15 other senators plan to introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution that aims to undo the FCC's Thursday action and fully restore net neutrality rules.

Calling the commission's ruling "an historic mistake," the senator pledged to fight the decision in the courts and halls of Congress.

Markey contended that the CRA, which allows Congress to overturn federal agencies' regulatory actions through a simple majority vote in both the House and Senate, will allow lawmakers to "correct the commission's misguided and partisan decision and keep the internet in the hands of the people, not big corporations."

"Without strong net neutrality rules, entrepreneurs, inventors, small businesses, activists and all those who rely on a free and open internet will be at the mercy of big broadband companies that can block websites, slow down traffic and charge websites fees in order to increase their profits," he said in a statement.

Noting that the CRA is co-sponsored by several Democrats, Markey added that Republicans must make a choice: To "be on the right side of history and stand with the American people who support net neutrality, or hold hands with the big cable and broadband companies who only want to supercharge their profits at the expense of consumers and our economy."

I plan to introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution that would restore the Open Internet Order and reverse the... Posted by Senator Edward J. Markey on Thursday, December 14, 2017

The CRA resolution will be formally introduced once the FCC rule is submitted to both chambers and published in the federal register, according to Markey's office.

Aside from Markey, others backing the measure include: U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon; Maria Cantwell, D-Washington; Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii; Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut; Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island; Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon; Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York; Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin; Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico; Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota; Gary Peters, D-Michigan; Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan; Patrick Leahy D-Vermont; and Bernie Sanders I-Vermont.

U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pennsylvania, plans to introduce a similar resolution in the House.

Congressman Richard Neal, D-Springfield, also said he was disappointed by the FCC's ruling and "fully intend(s) to support" Doyle's resolution.

"This move undermines and reverses consumer protective regulations already in place that allow for a level playing field in the e-commerce marketplace," he said in a statement. "I have heard from constituents across the First Congressional District of Massachusetts and the overwhelming majority of them are worried about what this will do to the guarantee of an open, free internet."

The FCC approved the "Restoring Internet Freedom" proposal, which called for repealing Obama-era standards that subjected internet providers to Title II utility-style regulations, on a 3-to-2 vote during its Thursday open meeting.

Supporters of the proposal said it was needed to address the "heavy-handed, utility-style regulation on internet service providers" the commission imposed in 2015 -- rules which they argued led to a drop in broadband investment and stifled innovation.

Opponents, however, have raised concerns that the commission's decision could lead to internet service providers slowing down, blocking online traffic or setting up internet "fast lanes."