Wyden, Merkley urge Ryan to hold House net neutrality vote

Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., on Friday joined their Democratic colleagues in the Senate in urging House Speaker Paul Ryan to schedule a vote on the Senate resolution to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s disastrous decision to repeal the agency’s net neutrality rules.

“Without these protections, broadband providers can decide what content gets through to consumers at what speeds and could use this power to discriminate against their competitors or other content,” the senators wrote Ryan in a letter, according to a joint news release which continues below:

“Under this new regime, the internet would no longer be a level playing field. Instead, big corporations who could pay would enjoy the benefits of a fast lane and speedy delivery of their content to consumers while those who could not pay these tolls – such as startups and small businesses, schools, rural Americans, and communities of color – would be disadvantaged.”

Despite the resolution’s bipartisan passage in the Senate 21 days ago, Speaker Ryan has failed to bring the resolution to the House floor for a vote. The renewed push by Senate Democrats comes as the net neutrality rules are set to officially expire on Monday, June 11 th , threatening equal access to an open internet for American consumers.

In addition to the letter, Democrats have launched a new website – www.democrats.senate.gov/SaveTheInternet – highlighting Speaker Ryan’s obstruction by tracking how long he has stalled the Senate CRA resolution.

The full text of the letter can be found here.