Oklahoma U.S. Sen. James Lankford says the last thing the FCC should bedoing is reinstating what he calls the “heavy-handed Obama-era regulations” of the internet.
“Our country faces real challenges. A lack of public-utility regulations for the internet is not one of them.”
He and more than 40 other senators sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, urging her to abandon her plans.
“Re-imposing heavy-handed, public-utility regulations on the internet would threaten the progress our country has made since 2017, and it would steer our country out of the fast lane and into a world of less competition, less choice, less investment, slower speeds, and higher prices,” the Members wrote. “Further, the FCC lacks this statutory authority over broadband internet access.
When the rules were dropped in 2017, Democrats argued it would result in Americans getting the internet one word at a time. But Lankford and other Senators said that didn’t happen and the claims of the Democrats were not only debunked but proven to be completely false.
“We urge you to end this charade and shelve this fifth attempt to adopt so-called ‘net neutrality regulations.”
The letter was also signed by Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Rand Paul (R-KY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Todd Young (R-IN).
Read the full letter here