House Democrats Should Reject Disingenuous Bid to Undermine the Save the Internet Act

On May 23, Republican members of the House Commerce Committee published a letter led by Reps Josh Gottheimer (D–NJ) and Scott Peters (D–CA) proposing a so-called net neutrality working group to reconsider the Save the Internet Act, which passed the House in April with 232 votes. The letter mirrors a bid by Sen Kyrsten Sinema (D–AZ) and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R–MS) to undermine the legislation before it receives a vote in the upper chamber. In response to the House letter, 32 public-interest organizations sent a letter to House Democratic leadership opposing the proposal from Reps Gottheimer and Peters.

"It has come to our attention that a letter is circulating signed by representatives that calls for a working group on net neutrality...that would abandon the Save the Internet Act. This is extremely troubling, and an affront to the millions of Americans from across the political spectrum who rely on an open internet and have called on Congress to support strong net neutrality. The Wicker-Sinema group—which the letter inaccurately holds up as a model for developing consensus on this issue—is led by two Senators who have declined to support the commonsense protections contained in the Save the Internet Act. In fact, Senator Sinema is the lone Democrat in Congress who has failed to endorse the Save the Internet Act...The Wicker-Sinema group and similar efforts are not a path to viable legislation, but rather a means to undermine the bill the House just passed, and the strong but flexible net neutrality framework it restores."