Ninety organizations joined together to urge Congress to restore #netneutrality protections that are widely supported across the political spectrum by people in the United States. Popular Resistance was one of the organizations signing onto this letter. Now is the time for Congress to pass a clean #SaveTheNetAct. Join us at https://www.battleforthenet.
April 2, 2019
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Members of the United States House of Representatives:
We the undersigned 90 organizations urge House members to pass the Save the Internet Act
(H.R. 1644), restoring the strong protections for net neutrality and broadband access
guaranteed by the 2015 Open Internet Order.
Since the repeal of the Open Internet Order by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in
December 2017, millions of Americans have been fighting to protect an open and accessible internet and calling on Congress to restore vital protections for universal communications rights, small business innovation, and free speech online.
Additionally, net neutrality continues to receive overwhelming bipartisan support across the country, with the latest polling showing that 4 in 5 Americans support net neutrality, including 77% of Republicans.1
In the year since the FCC took away the 2015 Open Internet Order, we have seen some very
troubling and dangerous activities by big cable and telephone companies:
● Verizon slowed down the Santa Clara fire department’s data in the midst of one the worst
wildfires in California history;2
● The largest U.S. telecom companies were caught slowing streaming speeds to popular
applications like YouTube and Netflix;3
● Centurylink blocked internet access to force customers to view specific ads;4
● AT&T gave preference to its own video services by not having its video data count against
customers’ monthly data caps;5 and
● Sprint has been accused of interfering with Skype, which provides an alternative to wireless
carriers’ voice, video or messaging services.
Despite empty rhetoric by open internet opponents, the 2015 Open Internet Order did not harm
broadband investment from 2015-2017, nor is broadband investment, deployment, or speed
increasing since the FCC’s repeal.
While advocates seek redress in court to overturn the FCC’s disastrous Open Internet Order repeal,
the Save the Internet Act will reaffirm Congress’s intent and support for broadband users’ rights.
Passing this bill would help reestablish important net neutrality protections while the court case challenging the FCC’s net neutrality repeal proceeds through months, or even years, of additional
appeals.
The House should pass this bill without any harmful amendments, and without any consideration of a Motion to Recommit or other substitute designed to water down, weaken, or fatally wound it.
We call on you to enact the will of hundreds of millions of people who support open internet
protections and broadband competition, and the millions who have taken action demanding
them, by passing the Save the Internet Act.
Americans want and deserve enforceable protections that preserve net neutrality, ensure stronger
broadband competition, and improve access. They don’t want big cable and phone companies
controlling what they see, say, and do online. They want more choices and more affordable internet
access service.
The Save the Internet Act is the best chance we have to restore real net neutrality and an open
and accessible internet for everyone in America. We urge you to support this important bill that will
restore strong open internet protections.
Sincerely,
18MillionRising.org
Access Humboldt
Access Now
The Alliance for Media Arts + Culture
Alternate ROOTS
American Alliance of Museums
American Association of Law Libraries
American Family Voices
Americans for the Arts
American Library Association
Appalshop
Arts & Democracy
Association of Performing Arts Professionals
Association of Research Libraries
The Authors Guild
California Clean Money Campaign
Cascade Educational Broadcast Service
(XRAY.fm)
CASH Music
Center for Democracy and Technology
Center for Media Justice
Center for Rural Strategies
Climate Hawks Vote
Color of Change
Common Cause
Consumer Reports
Courage Campaign
Coworker.org
CreaTV San Jose
Daily Kos
Demand Progress
Democracy for America
Dance/USA
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Engine
EveryLibrary
Faithful Internet
Fight for the Future
Folk Alliance International
Free Press Action
Future of Music Coalition
Global Action Project
Greenpeace
The Greenlining Institute
Harry Potter Alliance
Indivisible
Line Break Media
Make Shift
Martinez Street Women’s Center
Media Action Center
Media Alliance
Media Mobilizing Project
Million Hoodies Movement for Justice
Mississippi Center for Cultural Production
MomsRising
The Nation
National Consumer Law Center
National Digital Inclusion Alliance
National Federation of Community
Broadcasters
National Hispanic Media Coalition
National Organization for Women
New America’s Open Technology Institute
Oakland Privacy
Open Access Connections
OpenMedia
Open MIC (Open Media and Information
Companies Initiative)
Other98
OVEC – Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition
PEN America
People Demanding Action
People For the American Way
Popular Resistance
Presente.org
Progress America
Prometheus Radio Project
Public Citizen
Public Knowledge
RootsAction.org
Scribe Video Center
Social Security Works
SumOfUs
Theatre Communications Group
TURN – The Utility Reform Network
United Church of Christ, OC Inc.
U.S. Department of Arts and Culture
Watchdog.net
Win Without War
Women In Film, Los Angeles
Women’s Media Center
Working Narratives
Writers Guild of America West
Footnotes
1 Birnbaum, Emily (2019). 4 in 5 Americans say they support net neutrality: poll. The Hill
2 Brodkin, Jon (2018) Verizon throttled fire department’s “unlimited” data during Calif. Wildfire. Ars Technica
3 Kharif, Olga (2018). YouTube, Netflix Videos Found to Be Slowed by Wireless Carriers. Bloomberg
4 Brodkin, Jon (2018). CenturyLink blocked its customers’ Internet access in order to show an ad. Ars Technica
5 Bode, Karl (2018). How the new AT&T could bully its way to streaming domination. The Verge