In May, 28 members of the House of Representatives lobbied the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to drop net neutrality, the idea
that Internet service providers should treat all data that travels over
their networks equally. The lawmakers proposed instead a system that
would allow Internet service providers (ISPs) to provide better access
to some websites willing to pay a higher premium, creating new ways for
ISPs to manipulate how internet users access websites and erecting new
barriers to entry for small businesses.The FCC heard them loud
and clear and also proposed allowing the creation of Internet fast
lanes, but hope is not lost. Congressional Democrats have heroically
come to the rescue, unveiling legislation yesterday that would force the
FCC to ban Internet fast lanes.
However, the bill may face
strong opposition from those 28 lawmakers, who include House Speaker
John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy
and Republican Conference Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of the House
Leadership. They received more than 2.3 times the amount in campaign
contributions from the cable and satellite TV production &
distribution sector than the average for all members of the House of
Representatives.
The more one digs, the more digital dirt one
finds: those repugicans who have signed the letters against net
neutrality and the reclassification of the internet as a public utility
have received, on average, $59,812 from the cable industry, 5 times more
than the average for all members of the House, $11,651. Twenty-nine
members of Congress own stock in Comcast, making Comcast the 25th most
held stock among members of Congress.
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