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Udall, Heinrich Call On FCC Chairman Pai To Abandon ‘Reckless’ Plan To End Net Neutrality

Commentary: WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that they have joined a group of 39 Democratic senators in urging Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai to abandon his plan to repeal the agency’s net neutrality rules in favor of giving internet providers the ability to freely block or slow down consumers’ access to the internet. The senators’ letter comes ahead of a Thursday vote by the FCC to dismantle net neutrality protections. 

“Your plan gives a broadband provider the ability to significantly alter their subscribers’ internet experience,” the lawmakers wrote. “Once adopted, this proposal will permit that provider to freely block, slow down or manipulate a consumer’s access to the internet as long as it discloses those practices – no matter how anti-consumer – somewhere within mounds of legalese in a new 'net neutrality’ policy. …It is a stunning regulatory overreach.”

"The future of the internet hangs in the balance,” the lawmakers continued. "The FCC’s responsibilities over the nation’s communications networks remain, and are more crucial than ever, as the internet has become fundamental to every aspect of our society.  On behalf of our constituents – and future generations of Americans – we urge you to abandon this radical and reckless plan to turn the FCC’s back on consumers and the future of the free and open internet.”

Repealing net neutrality rules will affect New Mexicans in many ways – from small business owners who rely on the internet to compete with bigger companies, to students who need to access internet content for school, to the growing number of consumers who stream television shows and movies instead of paying higher costs for cable.

The letter was led by U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), and in addition to Udall and Heinrich, it was signed by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Gary C. Peters (D-Mich.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Angus S. King, Jr. (I-Maine), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Robert P. Casey (D-Pa.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-Ore.), Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-N.H.), Al Franken  (D-Minn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.),Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Cory A. Booker  (D-N.J.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Christopher Murphy (D-Conn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.).

The full letter can be found below and here