Dems Aim to Shame Republicans That Oppose Net Neutrality While ISPs have long enjoyed framing net neutrality as a partisan debate to sow discord and stall progress on meaningful rules, survey after survey (even from the industry itself) shows that the vast majority of Americans support net neutrality regardless of party. That's because our collective disdain for monopolies like Comcast tends to bridge the digital divide, and most people realize the perils of letting uncompetitive mono/duopolies run amok with neither healthy competition nor reasonable consumer protections in place to keep them in check.

With midterms looming, Democrats are hoping to use this anger at the FCC's repeal of net neutrality against the GOP. Led by Senator Ed Markey, Democrats introduced resolutions in both the House and Senate this week as part of attempt to reverse the FCC's decision via the Congressional Review Act. The act lets Congress reverse an agency regulatory decision with a majority vote in both houses, if it's passed within 60 days of the regulatory action (or, in this case, the net neutrality rules getting published in the Federal register). The effort stalled in recent weeks in a quest to find just one member of the GOP willing to stand up to the broadband industry and support the reversal. As previously noted, the effort faces even longer odds in the House, where the ISP-loyal lawmakers are even more numerous. From there, its chances of success don't get much better, requiring the signature of President Trump (which simply isn't likely). Still, Democrats pretty clearly hope to use net neutrality as a wedge issue in the coming midterms by forcing Republicans to put their fealty to Comcast, AT&T and Verizon down on paper. Such a move could be particularly beneficial in getting younger Millennials voters to the polls. "President Trump and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai might want to end the internet as we know it, but we won’t agonize, we will organize," said Senator Markey in a statement. "The grassroots movement to reinstate net neutrality is growing by the day, and we will get that one more vote needed to pass my CRA resolution," the Senator said. "I urge my Republicans colleagues to join the overwhelming majority of Americans who support a free and open internet. The internet is for all -- the students, teachers, innovators, hard-working families, small businesses, and activists, not just Verizon, Charter, AT&T, and Comcast and corporate interests." While perhaps a sound "naming and shaming" strategy politically, the best hope of reversing the FCC's unpopular decision rests in the looming court cases headed the agency's direction. The FCC has to prove the broadband industry changed substantially to warrant such a stark and unpopular reversal in policy (it didn't), and will also have to address the numerous While perhaps a sound "naming and shaming" strategy politically, the best hope of reversing the FCC's unpopular decision rests in the looming court cases headed the agency's direction. The FCC has to prove the broadband industry changed substantially to warrant such a stark and unpopular reversal in policy (it didn't), and will also have to address the numerous acts of fraud the agency turned a blind eye to during the repeal.







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Most recommended from 14 comments



Ut98Ex

join:2012-07-11

Georgetown, TX 10 recommendations Ut98Ex Member Might as well... Repubs were dumb enough to politicize this issue to begin with (Government is taking over the internet!). This is NOT a partisan issue but might as well drown them with their own stupidity.

tshirt

Premium Member

join:2004-07-11

Snohomish, WA 6 recommendations tshirt Premium Member Not so sure... ....republicans have a sense of/feel shame anymore. each week we have some event among their fellows which SHOULD bring them to their knees from embarrassment...and yet the ignore or even revel in their own crudeness and democrats aren't far behind