Sen. Rand Paul Defies Will of Internet Users with Congressional Resolution Against Net Neutrality

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky introduced a resolution of disapproval to overrule the FCC's Net Neutrality order. The resolution mirrors a similar effort in the House that Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia introduced earlier this month.

Under the Congressional Review Act, Congress can review new rules issued by federal agencies. The rules are invalidated if both houses adopt a joint resolution of disapproval and it’s signed by the president. Congress has 60 legislative session days from the date of the rules' publication in the Federal Register — in this case, April 13 — to pass the resolution.

Free Press Action Fund Policy Director Matt Wood made the following statement:

“Senator Paul has no idea what Net Neutrality is. His opposition to common-sense open Internet principles shows how little he knows or cares about the law and the overwhelming support these rules have from businesses, innovators, and individual Internet users.

"Paul says he opposes Net Neutrality because he doesn’t want to regulate the Internet, but these rules do no such thing. The Internet has flourished precisely because we have these kinds of laws. They protect people from unreasonable interference and discrimination from the cable and phone companies that provide us with broadband access. Senator Paul should focus more on protecting economic opportunities and free expression online for his constituents, and less on parroting discredited cable-industry talking points.

“Paul and a few other members of Congress have sided with the phone and cable lobby and against the open Internet. But their campaign against real Net Neutrality is all bluster. Egged on by industry lobbyists, these officials think they can fool people into believing that Net Neutrality threatens investment and innovation in digital networks. They insist that it's a government takeover of the Internet when nothing could be further from the truth. Their recycled arguments have been so thoroughly debunked it's ridiculous that they continue to use them.

"It’s worth reminding our elected officials that public support for Net Neutrality protections is strong and includes a majority of Republican voters. As some in Congress consider taking up this resolution, they'll hear from people across the country who stand for nothing less than real Net Neutrality."