Free Press has issued some marching orders, or at least "marching recommendations," for the new Congress, where Democrats will control the House and the chairmanships that go with it.
The group signaled it was time to move from playing defense against the Trump Administration "backslide into dangerous ground" to actively regaining that lost ground.
Those policy priorities come in the form of a new action plan for 2019, "Priorities for a New Year and a New Congress."
Those priorities are:
- "Restoring Net Neutrality and fostering broadband choice & internet affordability.
- "Breaking up media conglomerates to promote local journalism and media equity.
- "Strengthening privacy and civic discourse on the internet’s biggest platforms.
- "Making communities safer from surveillance by federal agencies and local police."
Free Press says those are areas ripe for legislation, court rulings and political organizing.
The group says the Trump Administration has "dismantled key parts of our communications infrastructure and demeaned our press corps." Free Press wants the new Congress to turn that tide.
Certainly Democrats in charge of the House are pretty much on the same page. For example, Free Press says that according to early returns, more than 70% of the Democrats campaigned on restoring net neutrality rules.
House Democrats have promised vigorous oversight of the FCC, which could include investigations into the net neutrality document, the media ownership deregulation that allowed communications companies to heavy up, and more.
Free Press says it has 1.4 million members, who will be urged to make their voices heard in Washington on these new policy priorities.
