Republican Rep Opposes FCC's Net Neutrality Proposal in Congress

Today, Republican congresswoman Marsha Blackburn slammed Federal Communication Commission's new proposal on net neutrality and argued against the government's attempts to regulate the Internet. During the State of the Net conference, the Tennessee representative who also serves on the House's Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, argued that Congress should stop trying to place restrictions on ISPs and online content. Blackburn just recently introduced the H.R. 96 bill, also called the "Internet Freedom Act," that seeks to strip the FCC's current power to regulate "IP-enabled services." In support of the bill, she said:

"Where Congress fails to lead, bureaucracy rushes in. Here is the first opportunity for conservatives to make a stand. The free marketplace is a cornerstone of our philosophy of government."

The FCC recently adopted rules concerning net neutrality took effect just last month. Nashville Public Radio reported that the regulations include preventing phone companies from slowing Internet connections to competitors like Skype. Blackburn denies that ISPs were conducting such behavior to begin with. The congresswoman has also remarked that both parties will unite on this issue to pass the bill that already has 60 co-sponsors, according to Datamation. But former Virginia congressman Tom Davis disagrees, saying:

"The Senate is a black hole. You can pass anything out of the House."

For more information, visit ONI's past coverage on the FCC.