So I write to my Senator about keeping Net Neutrality. He writes back that the five board members are partisan, this, while he took in better than $30,000 in contributions from those who want, what I guess Rubio thinks is 'self regulation'.
Senator, if there is anything I've learned over the years, it's that businesses will do whatever they can to grow and make more money and politicians will do whatever they can to get paid to help them. Everyday when you wake up, you should try to remember, you are there to represent us, not big business or the wealthy. Businesses need regulations.
Senator Rubio's response below.
Dear Mr. Whiteside,
Thank you for contacting me to express your thoughts on the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) attempts to regulate the Internet, commonly referred to as "net neutrality." I appreciate hearing from you.
Since its inception, the Internet has flourished with minimal government involvement and has revolutionized our ability to communicate and conduct commerce. As an engine of economic growth, it has provided businesses with the ability to compete in the global marketplace. Continued development of the Internet and modern telecommunications, free of government interference, is integral to American innovation.
However, in 2010, the FCC adopted its "Open Internet Order," which would establish federal regulations governing network management practices for broadband Internet service providers. Fortunately, a U.S. appeals court for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down the order citing the Commission's prior decision to classify broadband as an information service. The Communications Act expressly prohibits the FCC from regulating broadband providers under this classification.
In an effort to circumvent the appeals court decision, on May 15, 2014, the FCC approved a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) aimed at adopting new rules to replace those struck down by the appeals court. The NPRM also seeks public comment on whether the agency should reclassify broadband as a communications utility under Title II of the Communications Act.
On February 26, 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proceeded with this plan to regulate the Internet by approving an order on a 3-2 partisan vote to reclassify broadband as a telecommunications utility under Title II of the Communications Act. The 332-page regulation is being sold as "net neutrality," which is an existing concept predicated on preventing Internet service providers (ISPs) from creating "fast lanes" and "slow lanes" for different content. This dramatic action simply transfers power from ISPs to the government, and threatens to overregulate the Internet to the point of making it more expensive for consumers, less innovative and less competitive.
The uncertain and misguided authority that comes with reclassifying broadband must be addressed by Congress, not by five bureaucrats at the FCC. That is why updating the outdated Communications Act, which passed in 1996, should be a top priority and would provide clarity to the FCC's role in the modern communications landscape.
If we've learned anything about the Internet over the years, it's the enormous power it has to give people economic opportunity. Please know, as a member of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, I remain committed to ensuring the Internet remains free of burdensome regulations. Thank you again for contacting me with your concerns.
Sincerely,
Marco Rubio
United States Senator
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