House Passes Save the Internet Act in Response to Strong and Bipartisan Public Support for Net Neutrality

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed the Save the Internet Act (H.R. 1644), voting to restore the strong Net Neutrality rules and Title II legal framework for broadband in the FCC’s 2015 Open Internet Order.

A companion bill introduced in the U.S. Senate in early March is also gathering support as members of Congress respond to widespread public advocacy in support of the Net Neutrality legislation. Several national polls show that strong majorities of more than 80 percent of Republican and Democratic voters support the Net Neutrality safeguards the Save the Internet Act would reinstate.

Free Press Action President and CEO Craig Aaron made the following statement:

“Today’s vote is a tremendous victory for the millions of people across the country who’ve been calling, writing, tweeting and visiting their members of Congress to urge them to fight for a free and open internet. The energy behind this bill came from the grassroots, not big companies, but there were plenty of industry lobbyists trying to sink it. The overwhelming show of support for the Save the Internet Act proves how important and popular Net Neutrality has become.

“We thank Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representatives Frank Pallone and Mike Doyle for prioritizing and leading the push for this legislation, which would bring back the essential safeguards the Trump administration and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai eviscerated. Hundreds of lawmakers ignored the lies and fear-mongering of the phone and cable companies and struck a historic blow against online discrimination and corporate greed.

“At no time in the history of the battle for a free and open internet have we had so many members of Congress on the record in support of real Net Neutrality protections under a Title II legal framework. As this crucial legislation heads to the Senate, industry lobbyists want people to believe it doesn’t have a chance. They want to discourage people from showing up and urging their senators to vote in favor of the Save the Internet Act. That won’t work.

“Senators must know by now that people across party lines support Net Neutrality protections by large majorities. Mitch McConnell and other Senate leaders need to decide whether they’re going to stand with more than 80 percent of voters in their own party or do the cable companies’ dirty work. To prevent a Senate vote on this bill would be wrong, politically short-sighted and an underestimation of the internet’s readiness to mobilize and fight for Net Neutrality.

“We saw last year when the Net Neutrality CRA passed that a bipartisan majority in the upper chamber supported these same strong open-internet rules. As today’s vote shows, all the political momentum is on the side of restoring Net Neutrality — and that’s what the public expects the Senate to do.”