Press Release
Bipartisan Majority Supports Internet Freedom in the House
Contact: Timothy Karr, 201-533-8838
WASHINGTON -- The broad, nonpartisan movement for Internet freedom notched a major victory today, when a bipartisan majority of the House Judiciary Committee passed the "Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2006" -- a bill that offers meaningful protections for Network Neutrality, "the First Amendment of the Internet."
"Today's vote would have been unthinkable three weeks ago," said Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, the nonpartisan media reform group that coordinates the SavetheInternet.com Coalition. "It shows that the politicians are listening to the vast number of citizens who don't want the Internet to become the private domain of the cable and telephone monopolies. Today's vote is a milestone for the fast-growing movement to protect the public interest and defend Internet freedom."
The SavetheInternet.com Coalition is an alliance of consumer groups, educators, librarians, small businesses, bloggers and hundreds of thousands of average citizens who have banded together to protect Internet freedom. Today, the coalition's petition drive surpassed 750,000 signatures, as the group flooded Congress with calls and letters.
"Internet freedom is under attack, but Americans of every political stripe are fighting back together and today we achieved an amazing victory," said Eli Pariser, Executive Director of MoveOn.org Civic Action. "Today's vote was a solid loss for AT&T's multi-million dollar lobbyists and a solid victory for the rest of us -- including the thousands of Americans who have called Congress every day in support of protecting Net Neutrality."
Since it launched in late April, more than 700 groups spanning the political spectrum have joined the SavetheInternet.com Coalition, including MoveOn.org, the Christian Coalition, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Gun Owners of America, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the American Library Association, and Craig Newmark of Craigslist.
"We urge Congress to move aggressively to save the Internet -- and allow ideas rather than money to control what Americans can access on the World Wide Web," said Roberta Combs, President of the Christian Coalition of America. "We urge all Americans to contact their Congressmen and Senators and tell them to save the Internet and to support Net Neutrality."
The bipartisan "Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2006" (H.R. 5417) next moves to the full House after Congress returns from its Memorial Day recess. The SavetheInternet.com Coalition is urging people to continue writing and calling their members of Congress until Network Neutrality becomes law.
"A growing alliance at the grassroots and in Congress recognizes that Network Neutrality is not a partisan issue, but one of grave importance to anyone who wishes to see the Internet remain an unrivaled environment for innovation, competition, civic participation and free speech," said Jeannine Kenney, senior policy analyst of Consumers Union. "We urge all members of Congress to support this important legislation."
For more information, please visit www.SavetheInternet.com
"Today's vote would have been unthinkable three weeks ago," said Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, the nonpartisan media reform group that coordinates the SavetheInternet.com Coalition. "It shows that the politicians are listening to the vast number of citizens who don't want the Internet to become the private domain of the cable and telephone monopolies. Today's vote is a milestone for the fast-growing movement to protect the public interest and defend Internet freedom."
The SavetheInternet.com Coalition is an alliance of consumer groups, educators, librarians, small businesses, bloggers and hundreds of thousands of average citizens who have banded together to protect Internet freedom. Today, the coalition's petition drive surpassed 750,000 signatures, as the group flooded Congress with calls and letters.
"Internet freedom is under attack, but Americans of every political stripe are fighting back together and today we achieved an amazing victory," said Eli Pariser, Executive Director of MoveOn.org Civic Action. "Today's vote was a solid loss for AT&T's multi-million dollar lobbyists and a solid victory for the rest of us -- including the thousands of Americans who have called Congress every day in support of protecting Net Neutrality."
Since it launched in late April, more than 700 groups spanning the political spectrum have joined the SavetheInternet.com Coalition, including MoveOn.org, the Christian Coalition, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Gun Owners of America, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the American Library Association, and Craig Newmark of Craigslist.
"We urge Congress to move aggressively to save the Internet -- and allow ideas rather than money to control what Americans can access on the World Wide Web," said Roberta Combs, President of the Christian Coalition of America. "We urge all Americans to contact their Congressmen and Senators and tell them to save the Internet and to support Net Neutrality."
The bipartisan "Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2006" (H.R. 5417) next moves to the full House after Congress returns from its Memorial Day recess. The SavetheInternet.com Coalition is urging people to continue writing and calling their members of Congress until Network Neutrality becomes law.
"A growing alliance at the grassroots and in Congress recognizes that Network Neutrality is not a partisan issue, but one of grave importance to anyone who wishes to see the Internet remain an unrivaled environment for innovation, competition, civic participation and free speech," said Jeannine Kenney, senior policy analyst of Consumers Union. "We urge all members of Congress to support this important legislation."
For more information, please visit www.SavetheInternet.com
