This morning, the House of Representatives passed HR 1644, the Save the Internet Act. The bill would restore the 2015 Open Internet Order, which included the strongest-ever net neutrality rules and restored the FCC’s authority to oversee broadband Internet access providers under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934.   The following statement should be attributed to Gigi Sohn:

Net Neutrality is now one step closer to being reinstated as the law of the land.  The Save the Internet Act will ensure that Internet users, not broadband providers, choose winners and losers on the Internet. Just as important, the Act will restore much-needed FCC oversight over the broadband industry. The House, led by Speaker Pelosi, Rep. Frank Pallone and Rep. Mike Doyle, should be commended for its decisive action. While Senate Majority Leader McConnell said yesterday that the bill is “dead on arrival” in the Senate, the will of the American people will certainly resuscitate it. Last year the Republican Senate passed a similar bill, and those Senators who defy the will of the over 85% of Americans who support reinstatement of the 2015 Open Internet Order risk losing their seats in 2020 and beyond.

Gigi Sohn is a Distinguished Fellow at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy and a Benton Foundation Senior Fellow and Public Advocate.  She was Counselor to former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler from November 2013-December 2016 and worked on the 2015 Open Internet Order.  Gigi can be reached for comment at the above email address or at 202-253-0876.  More on Gigi can be found at gigisohn.com.