Washington, DC – Congressman José E. Serrano, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, lauded the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) historic vote adopting rules protecting network neutrality on the Internet.
“The rules adopted Friday will help guarantee consumers continue to have access to an open internet that promotes communication and innovation by restricting service providers’ ability to control access to an essential resource in today’s economy with unfair practices,” said Serrano in a statement.
Supporters of the net neutrality agree that everyone – private businesses, entrepreneurs, schools, nonprofits, and families—will benefit from these rules.
“Community access is vital and there are aspirational factors when barriers to open access are removed. The FCC’s Open Internet order can contribute to innovation, increased access, and free expression while helping ensure that people including families, students, community media makers, and future leaders are not left behind,” said Michael Max Knobbe, executive director at Bronxnet.
Congressman Serrano applauded “Chairman Wheeler and the FCC for taking this historic step to update and strengthen the laws that regulate the internet and to ensure it continues serving Americans’ needs in a 21st century global economy.”
Serrano warned American consumers they need to protect the new rules from Republicans’ attacks in Congress. It appears that House Republicans have already begun taking steps to replace the new rules. In the past, GOP efforts against net neutrality rules have included trying to limit the FCC’s ability to regulate the internet through the Appropriations process by denying the agency funding needed to regulate the internet.
Serrano vowed that as Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee that has jurisdiction over the FCC, he would strongly oppose any similar efforts roll back the new rules, and promised to do everything in his capacity as a lawmaker to ensure that net neutrality protections remain in place.
Representative Serrano has represented The Bronx in Congress since 1990.
This posting has been updated to include additional comments that were mistakenly deleted.
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