Kaine Joins Resolution To Reverse FCC's Rollback Of Net Neutrality Protections
WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) joined Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) to co-sponsor a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to reverse the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) repeal of net neutrality rules. Last week, the FCC gutted the 2015 Open Internet Order, which prohibits internet service providers from blocking, slowing down or speeding up internet traffic based on how much they get paid. The FCC’s ruling could stifle innovation and lead to increased costs for consumers and a decreased web experience for countless Americans.
“The Trump Administration’s decision to repeal net neutrality rules takes power away from consumers and hands it to large telecomm companies, allowing them to control the flow of information on the Internet,” Kaine said. “Passing our Congressional Review Act resolution would restore these rules and ensure the internet remains a free and open resource.
The resolution of disapproval would reverse the FCC’s decision and fully restore the Open Internet Order. CRA resolutions allow Congress to overturn regulatory actions at federal agencies with a simple majority vote in both chambers. In accordance with the CRA, the Senators will formally introduce the resolution once the rule is submitted to both houses of Congress and published in the federal register. In his first four months in office, President Trump signed 14 CRA resolutions to nullify rules issued by the previous Administration. Prior to that, the CRA was invoked just once during the 107th Congress to reverse a rule by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. A copy of the CRA can be found HERE.
###