Some key ISP trade associations warned Congress Tuesday (May 15) against voting for the Congressional Review Act resolution to nullify the FCC's net-neutrality rules deregulation.
The CRA would reverse the FCC's Restoring Internet Freedom order, which takes effect June 11 and eliminates the rules against blocking, throttling and paid prioritization, as well as the general conduct standard.
The Senate is scheduled to vote on the CRA Wednesday (May 16).
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the CEOs of NCTA–The Internet & Television Association, the CTIA, and USTelecom said a vote for the CRA would curb critical investment needed to connect poor and rural areas to high-speed broadband.
McConnell almost certainly won't be voting for the CRA, while Schumer is just as safe a bet to support it. In fact, Schumer has suggested that net-neutrality rules are needed to help ensure affordable broadband for all.
"We write today to urge you and your colleagues in the Senate to vote against Senate Joint Resolution 52 (S.J.Res.52), which uses the Congressional Review Act to reverse the FCC’s 'Restoring Internet Freedom Order' of 2017," they said.
"By reversing the FCC’s order, the CRA would reinstate 1930s-era Title II regulations," they added. "Such an approach would curb the necessary investment and infrastructure improvements that are critical for connecting more Americans to high-speed broadband and enabling wider internet access, especially in poor and rural areas."
They continued their pitch for "comprehensive bipartisan legislation" that would provide "21st-century rules for a 21st-century internet."
