Senator Schmitt Demands Answers from FCC Chairwoman Regarding her Attempt to Reinstate Net Neutrality Rules

Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to demand answers regarding the FCC’s partisan Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to reinstate failed Title II net neutrality rules. “As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, I have seen the Biden Administration attempt to enact regulations that would ban gas stoves, mandate that domestic semiconductor manufacturers work with equity groups to promote gender ideology, and require internet service providers to develop plans to combat climate change when building out their broadband networks. Administrative agencies have implemented these far-left regulations without any clear congressional delegation. As a result, it truly confounds the mind that under your leadership as Chairwoman, the FCC would attempt to reinstate failed net neutrality rules. Despite the law and history, your FCC is acting as if the major questions doctrine and other decisions limiting agency authority since are merely footnotes that can be ignored in your unabashed power grab to regulate the internet. Let me be clear then: Because neither the Communications Act of 1934, the Telecommunication Act of 1996, nor any other act of Congress provides the FCC the clear authority to implement this massive regulatory scheme, the FCC does not have the ability to survive a legal challenge. Your blind efforts to move forward ignores our separation of powers, and the will of the people through their elected representatives in Congress to determine how to best balance our economic and national security interests on the internet. The powers you seek firmly rest with Congress.”