Gene Green (D-TX) and 73 of his friends on the Democratic side of the House of Representatives aisle have fired off a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski asking him not to partially reclassify internet service in order to provide authority for net neutrality oversight.
They say that a great deal of private investment has gone into the internet already, and that it is responsible for a wealth of good-paying jobs – and they believe that a stable regulatory environment is necessary to keep the investment cash and jobs flowing.
“[W]e have serious concerns about the proposed new regulatory framework for broadband and the Internet,” the reps wrote. “The expanded FCC jurisdiction over broadband that has been proposed and the manner in which it would be implemented are unprecedented and create regulatory uncertainty. The controversy surrounding that approach will likely serve as a distraction from what should be our Nation’s foremost communications priority: bringing broadband to every corner of America, getting every American online, and providing high speed connections needed to realize the promises of telemedicine, distance learning, and other forms of consumer empowerment.”
They concluded, “We urge you not to move forward with a proposal that undermines critically important investment in broadband and the jobs that come with it.”
The letter follows a similar missive from 37 Senate Republicans.
Watchdog SavetheInternet.com was highly critical of the letter from the Democrats, noting that most of them are on the contribution list of big ISPs. It is planning a grassroots campaign directed at the Obama administration urging that the FCC remain on the track it has embarked upon.
