Dems push Ryan to vote to help save America's net neutrality measures

With the FCC's motion on ending net neutrality provisions set to be enacted in a matter of days, Senate Democrats want the House to put their resolution to save the protections up for a last-minute vote.

An open letter sent by the entire Democratic Senate Caucus to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) implores him to schedule a vote on S.J. Res 52. The resolution, passed three weeks ago in a 52-47 vote in the Senate, seeks to overturn the FCC's efforts to dismantle net neutrality.

"In issuing the 2015 net neutrality rules, the FCC delivered a message that the choice of what consumers can access online, and the speed at which they can access it, should be kept solely in the hands of those consumers, not the big broadband providers," the note reads.

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"By passing S.J.Res. 52, the Senate affirmed that message and stood with the nearly 86 percent of Americans across the country who disagreed with the current FCC’s December 2017 decision to repeal net neutrality and fear its impact on their livelihood."

While getting the measure passed on the floor of a GOP-lead House was always going to be a longshot for net neutrality, the Senators say Ryan hasn't even let things get that far, holding up any vote on the bill for the last three weeks.

Now, they want the Speaker to give their resolution its due consideration and at least let representatives make their opinions known.

"Now that the Senate has taken this critical step, it is incumbent on the House of Representatives to listen to the voices of consumers, including the millions of Americans who supported the FCC’s 2015 net neutrality order, and keep the internet free and open for all," the letter reads.

There is no indication that Ryan will bring the bill up for a vote before the FCC decision takes effect on Monday. ®