'The Whole Internet Is Watching': As Deadline Nears, Day of Action Takes Aim at House Members Still Standing Against Net Neutrality
"We have an opportunity to show the entire world which elected officials are willing to fight for net neutrality, and which ones decide to sit on their hands and let big telecom companies take control," Fight for the Future deputy director Evan Greer declared in a statement. (Photo: Fight for the Future)
With the Dec. 10 deadline for the House of Representatives to reverse the FCC's deeply unpopular repeal of net neutrality rapidly approaching, a coalition of websites, prominent celebrity activists, and advocacy groups representing millions of Americans are participating in an internet-wide day of action on Thursday to pressure members of Congress to back the legislative effort to restore net neutrality protections before it's too late.
During the day of action and in the week leading up to the final deadline, advocacy groups are urging supporters of the free internet to flood the phone lines of their representatives and sign on to their open letter to Congress demanding that they act to save net neutrality.
Read the full open letter and sign on here.
Click here for outreach materials and other tools to spread the word about the upcoming deadline and pressure members of Congress.
Congress is running out of time to overturn Ajit Pai's #NetNeutrality repeal. Join us for the last epic push at https://t.co/ku8WN5gBSq: https://t.co/I0rYN87ON7
— Fight for the Future (@fightfortheftr) November 28, 2018
"Net neutrality is not dead yet. Not even close," Evan Greer, deputy director of Fight for the Future (FFTF), said in a statement. "But as the clock runs out for this Congress to act, we have an opportunity to show the entire world which elected officials are willing to fight for net neutrality, and which ones decide to sit on their hands and let big telecom companies take control over what we can see and do on the internet."
According to FFTF, 18 House Democrats still haven't signed on to the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would restore net neutrality protections—and one possible explanation is that they are major recipients of telecom cash.
With the deadline days away (Dec 10th), 18 @HouseDemocrats still haven’t signed the resolution to restore #NetNeutrality. Together they’ve taken over $1.6 million from the Internet lobby. Retweet to spread the word.
Take action to keep up the pressure: https://t.co/ku8WN5gBSq pic.twitter.com/8SwaVz3fPU
— Fight for the Future (@fightfortheftr) November 28, 2018
We have an opportunity RIGHT NOW to get every sitting lawmaker, especially Dem hold-outs, on the record when it comes to defending the open internet. Call your reps. and urge them to sign the #CRA discharge petition! Join us tomorrow & save #NetNeutrality: https://t.co/rqznYLUNKq
— Demand Progress (@demandprogress) November 28, 2018
To pass the CRA that would overturn FCC chair Ajit Pai's net neutrality repeal, the House needs 218 signatures on the measure. As of this writing, 177 members of Congress have signed on.
Here are all the House Democrats who haven’t supported net neutrality—yet have all taken money from telecoms: https://t.co/tBA8jN4rZ3 pic.twitter.com/9x6yKEoWZm
— VICE (@VICE) November 28, 2018
"The whole internet is watching you," the net neutrality backers' open letter to Congress declares. "The deadline is fast approaching. You have less than a month to make a decision that will impact the future of humanity: will you vote to restore net neutrality and help save the free and open Internet? Or will you go down in history as one of the politicians who helped hasten its death?"
"Internet users expect and deserve action," the letter continues. "It's time for members of the House to put partisan politics aside and protect the future of America's internet."
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