After Democrats gained a majority on the commission last month, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel reignited a push for “net neutrality” setting the rules of the road broadband internet access.
The GOP senators view the potential return of net neutrality rules as aggressive regulation expanding the federal government’s powers beyond its proper reach. Democrats describe a world without net neutrality regulation as dangerous. In remarks at the National Press Club last month, Ms. Rosenworcel said the absence of the rules creates challenges for national security, cybersecurity, network reliability, privacy, broadband deployment and other issues.“If you think that nothing much has happened since the FCC retreated from our net neutrality policies and are asking yourself, ‘What’s the big deal?’, think again,” Ms. Rosenworcel said last month.
The 44 Republican lawmakers, led by Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota, argue the FCC’s rulemaking has been hyper-partisan and politicized.