FCC Chairman Rushing to Crush Net Neutrality Complained in 2014 About Rushed Process to Enshrine It

Back in May 2014, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai (he was a lowly commissioner back then) complained that the FCC was moving too fast on net neutrality changes.  “Indeed, on several recent issues, many say that the Commission has spent too much time speaking at the American people and not enough time listening to them,” then-Commissioner Pai said in response to then-Chairman Tom Wheeler’s proposed open internet regulations, which at the time drew criticism from both Republicans and Democrats on the commission. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel had already called to delay the vote in order to ensure that there had been enough time for the American people to speak up and for the FCC to consider the public response. In his remarks, Pai agreed, saying, “Going forward, we need to give the American people a full and fair opportunity to participate in this process. And we must ensure that our decisions are based on a robust record.” But Pai’s office hasn’t responded to multiple requests for comment as to whether he’s open to the delaying the Dec 14 vote on his proposal, despite the numerous documented irregularities in the public comment process. Chairman Pai said at a House subcommittee in July that one thing that would make him open to reconsidering his plan to repeal the network neutrality rules would be a convincing argument that investment in internet infrastructure actually on the rise following the implantation of the Obama-era regulations. Had the chairman been on Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon’s investor calls since the rules passed, however, he would learn that all claimed that investment in their networks had actually increased since the network neutrality rules were passed. Chairman Pai wanted to slow down the FCC back when he was in the minority and he opposed the direction in which the commission was headed. Now that he’s in power, Pai wants his plan, the final language of which was officially shared two days before Thanksgiving, to sail through without delay—no matter how broken and corrupt the public participation process has been.