Senators Keep Heat On Net Neutrality

While Congress is locked in intense debate and deal-making over the budget, a group of 10 Democratic senators are making sure that the issue of net neutrality doesn't get forgotten. Led by John Kerry (D-MA) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), the senators signed a sharply-worded letter to the chair and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee denouncing Republican efforts to kill the FCC's proposed neutrality rules. Wrote the senators:

"Some members of Congress have decided that they know better what is good for the Internet than the people who use, fund, and work on it. We side with the agency of expertise and supporters of the rule and urge you to reject any proposals that will prevent the FCC from implementing or enforcing its net neutrality rules."

The April vote by House Republicans to overturn the FCC's neutrality rules went nowhere in the Senate. But House members this week tried to advance an amendment to appropriations to defund FCC implementation and enforcement. At the same time, Republican FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell predicted on Fox News that the courts will stay implementation of the rules — scheduled to go into effect this fall.

While neither the Senate nor the administration are inclined to side with the Republicans, the 10 want to ensure that there's no backsliding. Together, they wrote made clear that this was a matter of principle and fairness:

"The final network neutrality rules are built on principles everyone should support — promoting transparency of broadband service operations; preventing blocking of legal content and websites; and prohibiting discrimination of individuals, applications, and other websites."

The list of backers includes Democrats: Al Franken (MN), Maria Cantwell (WA), Tom Udall (NM), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Mark Udall (CO), Ron Wyden (OR), Bernard Sanders (VT), and Mark Begich (AK).

CWA supports the FCC's net neutrality rules, which were adopted in December 2010, and opposes any effort by Congress to block the rules.

This same week, the FCC released an advisory to broadband carriers detailing what they must to do comply with its Open Internet disclosure requirements. Among other items, ISPs must provide information about the actual speed of their broadband connection. CWA and Speed Matters have long advocated for disclosure of this important metric.

Kerry-Rockefeller letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee

"McDowell: Better Than Average Chance Net Neutrality Rules Will Be Stayed"

Senate Democrats Urge Appropriators To Fund Disputed Open Internet Rules

FCC Open Internet Disclosure Requirements