Press Releases

Statement on House passage of the Save the Internet Act (HR 1644)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2019
Contact: Mark Stanley, [email protected], 202.681.7582

The following can be attributed to Demand Progress Communications Director Mark Stanley:

“Today’s historic vote is a testament to the work of the millions of activists who have refused to surrender on net neutrality. For too many years, the telecom industry has held a tight grip over Washington, using lobbyists and campaign contributions to manipulate policy debates and pad profits. This latest victory in the fight for net neutrality has shown, once again, that this grip can be broken when everyday people organize, show up and demand lawmakers listen.

“Because of today’s vote, we’re one step closer to preventing concentrated corporate power from stifling free speech and undermining the free market online. We’re closer to ensuring Comcast and Verizon cannot throttle streaming services, block content at will, and shut out startups or kill innovation.

“The Save the Internet Act will restore the legal framework that guarantees the FCC can enforce net neutrality, while preventing unfair data caps and privacy violations. Its passage in the House today is a crucial step toward restoring open internet protections supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans of all political affiliations. We commend members who voted for this bill, which has strong bipartisan support across the country.

“Outside Washington, the issue of net neutrality transcends politics — it is not seen through a partisan lens. Rather, it is viewed as a foundational question of whether the future of the internet will belong to and benefit individuals, or a handful of giant corporations. As this bill now moves to the Senate, millions of Americans will continue to mobilize and will refuse, flat out, to give up until Congress has restored net neutrality and guaranteed an open internet for all. Lawmakers who stand in the way of this legislation going forward will face massive political backlash from the grassroots and the millions of constituents who support a free and open internet.”

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