Thank you for contacting me about the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) 2015 Open Internet Order, often referred to as the net neutrality rule. I appreciate you taking the time to make me aware of your concerns on this important issue. You may be pleased to know that I support the FCC's net neutrality rule and oppose the current FCC Chairman's efforts to dismantle it.
As you know, the FCC net neutrality rule reclassifies broadband internet access as a “telecommunications service” under Title II of the Communications Act, while exempting broadband internet from hundreds of older, utility-era regulations, such as rate regulation, that could unintentionally reduce future investment in broadband innovation and expansion. As the Chairman of the FCC noted in announcing the Open Internet Order, using authorities under Title II and Section 706 of the Communications Act makes sure the net neutrality rule rests "...on the strongest legal foundation to preserve and protect an open Internet."
This statement was confirmed on June 14, 2016, when the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the legality of the FCC’s 2015 Open Internet Order. On May 1, 2017, that same Court denied the United States Telecom Association's petition for a rehearing of the case, effectively upholding the 2016 ruling that affirmed the FCC's legal authority to develop, issue and enforce net neutrality.
As a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Technology, which oversees the FCC, I am committed to protecting net neutrality rules. We must protect consumers by banning internet service providers from engaging in paid prioritization, blocking and throttling. All of these restrictive practices not only harm consumers, but they threaten the very freedom of the internet. I am disappointed that the new Chairman of the FCC is working to undo the 2015 Open Internet Order, which achieved a reasonable balance between the need to establish clear, enforceable rules that protect consumers, while protecting internet service providers from regulation that stifles innovation and investment.
Congress must not allow cable or telephone companies to act as gatekeepers of what content consumers may receive. That is why I have voted against efforts to weaken the FCC's long-standing statutory authority protect internet users from unfair and anticompetitive practices. As your Senator, I am committed to promoting an open Internet that is free from censorship. Freedom of the Internet is crucial for the success of our economy and the free flow of ideas. I will continue to monitor this situation and keep your views in mind as the new Republican-appointed Chairman of the FCC seeks to repeal the 2015 Open Internet Order.
Thank you again for contacting me on this important issue. If you would like more information on my work in the Senate, please visit my website at
www.duckworth.senate.gov. You can find upcoming events in the state, sign up for my newsletter, access my voting record and see what I am doing to address today’s most important issues. I hope that you will continue to share your views and opinions with me and let me know whenever I may be of assistance to you.
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