(First published here. For more information on net neutrality and NHMC's work to restore the open internet, visit: www.nhmc.org/openinternet)
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Ben Ray Luján announced today that he has signed on as a cosponsor to legislation to protect consumers and innovation online. Luján joins Representatives Henry Waxman and Anna Eshoo, authors of legislation in the House, as well as a number of his colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee as a cosponsor of H.R. 3982, the Open Internet Preservation Act. A companion bill will be introduced in the Senate by Senator Ed Markey and includes the support of New Mexico Senator Tom Udall.
The legislation is a response to a decision by the D.C. Circuit Court last month to strike down the Federal Communications Commission’s Open Internet Order that had prevented broadband providers from blocking or discriminating against content online. The bill restores these rules until the FCC takes new, final action in the Open Internet proceeding.
“A free and open Internet has spawned countless innovations that have impacted our lives for the better and spurred economic growth. It is essential that we keep the innovative spirit alive by ensuring that we have a system that does not block access to content on the web,” Congressman Luján said. “The decision by the D.C. Circuit Court threatens to undermine the freedom of the Internet by allowing restrictions that impede users’ ability to harness the Internet’s full potential. As the FCC works on replacement rules, this legislation will make it clear that the Internet will remain open for all users.”
The full text of the bill is available online here. A bill summary is available online here.
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