SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Net neutrality advocates rallied outside the Lincoln, Nebraska office of Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) on July 13, 2018 to urge him to support a measure that would restore net neutrality protections nationwide. (Photo: @IndivisibleLNK/Twitter)
'The Dam Is Breaking,' Declare Net Neutrality Defenders After First House Republican Backs CRA
"We urge Congressman Coffman's Republican colleagues to follow his lead and sign the discharge petition to restore net neutrality. It's the right thing to do."
Jul 17, 2018
"The dam is breaking, as it should."
"The tide is turning. The pressure is mounting. The floodgates are open."
--Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.)That's how Faiz Shakir, the ACLU's national political director, responded on Tuesday after Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado became the first House Republican to sign a petition to force a vote on a measure that would reinstate net neutrality protections that the GOP-controlled Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rolled back in December.
"Rep. Coffman's support to undo FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's repeal of net neutrality shows that public pressure is continuing to build on this issue and cannot be ignored this November," Shakir added. "Other House members should take heed of Coffman's direction and stand by the overwhelming majority of their constituents, not corporate interests."
While several states have taken steps to protect net neutrality at a local level, the coalition of consumer advocacy and free speech groups fighting Pai's repeal plan, which officially took effect last month, has rallied behind a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would override the FCC's vote. Led by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the Senate narrowly approved the resolution in May.
However, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan has refused to bring the resolution to the floor, even though Americans across the political spectrum overwhelmingly opposed the FCC's vote to kill net neutrality protections. If enough GOP lawmakers back a discharge petition, though, they could force a vote. Advocates welcomed Coffman's decision as a vital step toward convincing more Republicans to support the petition and the resolution.
As Markey put it: "The tide is turning. The pressure is mounting. The floodgates are open."
"By supporting this measure, Congressman Coffman is putting the interests of his constituents and the American people ahead of monopoly cable and telecommunications providers," declared former FCC commissioner and current Common Cause special adviser Michael Copps. "We urge Congressman Coffman's Republican colleagues to follow his lead and sign the discharge petition to restore net neutrality. It's the right thing to do."
Net neutrality supporters continue to organize events across the country to pressure lawmakers to act.
While Coffman also introduced new net neutrality legislation on Tuesday, Free Press Action Fund government relations director Sandra Fulton said it "is highly unlikely" that his his 21st Century Internet Act is somehow stronger than the rules rolled back by the FCC.
"And no matter how weak or strong Coffman's new bill is on paper, it has no chance of passing in this Congress," Fulton concluded. "The CRA is the best and only chance legislators have to restore these crucial rights this year."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
"The dam is breaking, as it should."
"The tide is turning. The pressure is mounting. The floodgates are open."
--Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.)That's how Faiz Shakir, the ACLU's national political director, responded on Tuesday after Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado became the first House Republican to sign a petition to force a vote on a measure that would reinstate net neutrality protections that the GOP-controlled Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rolled back in December.
"Rep. Coffman's support to undo FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's repeal of net neutrality shows that public pressure is continuing to build on this issue and cannot be ignored this November," Shakir added. "Other House members should take heed of Coffman's direction and stand by the overwhelming majority of their constituents, not corporate interests."
While several states have taken steps to protect net neutrality at a local level, the coalition of consumer advocacy and free speech groups fighting Pai's repeal plan, which officially took effect last month, has rallied behind a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would override the FCC's vote. Led by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the Senate narrowly approved the resolution in May.
However, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan has refused to bring the resolution to the floor, even though Americans across the political spectrum overwhelmingly opposed the FCC's vote to kill net neutrality protections. If enough GOP lawmakers back a discharge petition, though, they could force a vote. Advocates welcomed Coffman's decision as a vital step toward convincing more Republicans to support the petition and the resolution.
As Markey put it: "The tide is turning. The pressure is mounting. The floodgates are open."
"By supporting this measure, Congressman Coffman is putting the interests of his constituents and the American people ahead of monopoly cable and telecommunications providers," declared former FCC commissioner and current Common Cause special adviser Michael Copps. "We urge Congressman Coffman's Republican colleagues to follow his lead and sign the discharge petition to restore net neutrality. It's the right thing to do."
Net neutrality supporters continue to organize events across the country to pressure lawmakers to act.
While Coffman also introduced new net neutrality legislation on Tuesday, Free Press Action Fund government relations director Sandra Fulton said it "is highly unlikely" that his his 21st Century Internet Act is somehow stronger than the rules rolled back by the FCC.
"And no matter how weak or strong Coffman's new bill is on paper, it has no chance of passing in this Congress," Fulton concluded. "The CRA is the best and only chance legislators have to restore these crucial rights this year."
"The dam is breaking, as it should."
"The tide is turning. The pressure is mounting. The floodgates are open."
--Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.)That's how Faiz Shakir, the ACLU's national political director, responded on Tuesday after Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado became the first House Republican to sign a petition to force a vote on a measure that would reinstate net neutrality protections that the GOP-controlled Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rolled back in December.
"Rep. Coffman's support to undo FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's repeal of net neutrality shows that public pressure is continuing to build on this issue and cannot be ignored this November," Shakir added. "Other House members should take heed of Coffman's direction and stand by the overwhelming majority of their constituents, not corporate interests."
While several states have taken steps to protect net neutrality at a local level, the coalition of consumer advocacy and free speech groups fighting Pai's repeal plan, which officially took effect last month, has rallied behind a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would override the FCC's vote. Led by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the Senate narrowly approved the resolution in May.
However, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan has refused to bring the resolution to the floor, even though Americans across the political spectrum overwhelmingly opposed the FCC's vote to kill net neutrality protections. If enough GOP lawmakers back a discharge petition, though, they could force a vote. Advocates welcomed Coffman's decision as a vital step toward convincing more Republicans to support the petition and the resolution.
As Markey put it: "The tide is turning. The pressure is mounting. The floodgates are open."
"By supporting this measure, Congressman Coffman is putting the interests of his constituents and the American people ahead of monopoly cable and telecommunications providers," declared former FCC commissioner and current Common Cause special adviser Michael Copps. "We urge Congressman Coffman's Republican colleagues to follow his lead and sign the discharge petition to restore net neutrality. It's the right thing to do."
Net neutrality supporters continue to organize events across the country to pressure lawmakers to act.
While Coffman also introduced new net neutrality legislation on Tuesday, Free Press Action Fund government relations director Sandra Fulton said it "is highly unlikely" that his his 21st Century Internet Act is somehow stronger than the rules rolled back by the FCC.
"And no matter how weak or strong Coffman's new bill is on paper, it has no chance of passing in this Congress," Fulton concluded. "The CRA is the best and only chance legislators have to restore these crucial rights this year."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy