Democrats Use PIRATE Act Markup to Slam Net Neutrality Rule Rollback

Democratic Reps used a House Communications Subcommittee markup of a pirate radio bill to express their opposition to the Federal Communications Commission's rollback of network neutrality rules. Subcommittee Ranking Member Mike Doyle (D-PA) introduced an amendment to the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement (PIRATE) Act (HR 5709) that would have replaced the base bill with one that would restore the net neutrality rules just jettisoned. He also put in a plug for supporting his Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would nullify the rollback and restore the rules. Several Democratic Reps then weighed in with their criticisms of the FCC rule rollback, including full committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ), as well as their support for the amendment and the CRA. Ranking Member Doyle then immediately withdrew the amendment. After the various proposed amendments were withdrawn, the PIRATE Act was approved unanimously by voice vote.