Net neutrality postures follow party lines
WAHINGTON – In releasing its long-awaited rules regarding net neutrality, some at the Federal Communications Commission were unhappy with the decision.
One of those was Republican Commissioner Ajit Pai, who stated, “Read my lips. More new taxes are coming.”
Commissioner Pai was not alone among Republicans in voicing his dissatisfaction with the FCC ruling.
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, said in a statement that: “Despite the Federal Communication Commission’s partisan action to approve a 317-page power grab over the Internet, the fight to keep the Internet unburdened from regulatory overreach is far from over. As parties line up to challenge this action in court, it will soon be time for Congressional Democrats to review the situation and decide if they are prepared to join a bipartisan effort that brings real certainty to American consumers and provides the necessary protections to the Internet. Only action by Congress can fix the damage and uncertainty this FCC order has inflicted on the Internet.”
Thune’s comments have fallen in line with the new Republican posture that any regulation, even regulation intended to protect consumers, constitutes government overreach and a threat to free-market principles.
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) the Senate Commerce Committee’s ranking Democrat said in a statement, “The expert agency – after thorough review and voluminous public input – has now acted. I look forward to reviewing the details of the FCC’s decision, and I remain willing to continue discussions regarding true bipartisan legislation.”
The House Subcommittees on Communications and Technology Republican caucuses released a joint statement on the subject.
“Resorting to Great Depression-era rules will trigger a stampede to the courts, unleashing years of lawsuits and uncertainty at a time when U.S. leadership and the Internet economy are more important than ever. We believe the Internet has worked well under current rules, but we are – and we remain – willing to come to the table with legislation to answer the calls for legally sustainable consumer protections for the free and open Internet that has fostered a generation of innovation, economic growth and global empowerment.”
