As Deadline Fast Approaches, House Members Warned to Defend Net Neutrality or "Face Internet's Wrath"

"Any lawmaker of any party who fails to sign the discharge petition in support of the CRA will regret it come election time."

by Jon Queally, staff writer

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/06/07/deadline-fast-approaches-house-members-warned-defend-net-neutrality-or-face

With less than a week before the FCC's "resoundingly unpopular" repeal of net neutrality rules go into effect on June 11th, defenders of the open internet and online consumers are warning members of the U.S. House of Representatives to either immediately back a resolution petition that would nullify the rules or "face the internet's wrath."

With the Senate passing a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution in May, the broad coalition trying to thwart the GOP-controlled FCC is pulling out all the stops in order to win a similar victory in the House. With more than 175 House members already indicating their support for the CRA, a total of 218 signatures are needed to force the resolution to the floor, a goal the BattleforNet coalition—which includes Fight for the Future, Free Press, Demand Progress, and others—says is increasingly within reach in the wake of the Senate's bipartisan vote.

For those who don't seize this historic opportunity to preserve the bedrock online principle of net neutrality, however, advocates say there will be unyielding contempt.

"People are going to be pissed off. Really pissed off. And rightly so. It's hard to imagine a more clear example of how our democracy is broken," said Evan Greer, deputy director of Fight for the Future. "We're going to harness the power of the internet to ensure that people have a way to channel that anger productively. Any lawmaker of any party who fails to sign the discharge petition in support of the CRA will regret it come election time."

According to Candace Clement, campaign director for the Free Press Action, "This will be one of the biggest showdowns of the summer in the House. For constituents everywhere Net Neutrality is non-negotiable. Our elected representatives can either side with the people and support the CRA or with the cable and phone lobby."

As part of their campaign, the coalition has organized a day of actions for Thursday, so that citizens nationwide can visit or contact their House member in order to demand support for the CRA.

"Activists and advocates in every district are already turning up the heat on anyone who sells out their constituents to line the pockets of AT&T, Comcast and Verizon," said Clement. "Keeping the internet open is critical."