Open internet defenders warned members of Congress that on Tuesday’s Day of Advocacy for net neutrality rules, they will be hearing directly from their constituents about how they should vote on saving the regulations — and how the wrong decision could affect their job security.
“Most days the FCC and Congress are dominated by the opinions of large cable and telecom companies with armies of well-paid Washington lobbyists,” said Chris Lewis, vice president at the public interest group Public Knowledge. “Tuesday, in both Washington and in communities around the country, Americans are lobbying for themselves. Some FCC commissioners have dismissed the overwhelming public support for restoring net neutrality rules, but they are unelected. Members of Congress ignore the overwhelming bipartisan support for net neutrality at their own risk.”
TOMORROW: On June 26 we’re teaming up with allies to hold a Net Neutrality Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill. Join us as we urge House reps to pass the #NetNeutrality CRA and restore the open-internet rules.
Sign up here: https://t.co/oNr6jKyWUM https://t.co/oNr6jKyWUM
— Free Press (@freepress) June 25, 2018
Public Knowledge and Free Press will be joined by a number of other groups — including Fight for the Future, Common Cause, and the National Hispanic Media Coalition — for the day of advocacy.
The Senate voted in favor of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the FCC’s repeal of net neutrality in May — moving a step closer to preventing internet service providers like Verizon and Comcast from blocking and throttling websites and creating “fast lanes” that give priority to certain content.
Advocates are now demanding that members of the House of Representatives support a petition to force a vote on the CRA.
Activists will be at the US Capitol on Tuesday, talking to their elected officials about how the end of net neutrality would affect their lives and work.
#NetNeutrality ended last Monday. A large #publisher could pay to increase their traffic while internet service providers #ISP could slow down traffic to my small #publishing business. Special interest with $ could pay to suppress other points of view while advancing their own. https://t.co/tiTVsk8DNr
— Matthew Barron (@authorMBarron) June 18, 2018
“People have been using the internet to save the internet every day,” said Sandra Fulton, director of government relations at Free Press Action Fund. “Tomorrow, they’re taking action in person, urging their elected representatives to stand with the vast majority of Americans who oppose the FCC’s unpopular decision to repeal net neutrality protections. We know that the open internet is critical for marginalized communities that corporate media have misrepresented; that it’s essential for free speech and political organizing online; and that working families need an open network to survive just as much as tech entrepreneurs do.”
Dozens of events are also planned in cities and towns across the country, with internet freedom advocates set to protest at their elected officials’ offices.
“The overwhelming majority of Americans understand that strong net neutrality rules are the prerequisite for an open and citizen-friendly internet,” said Yosef Getachew of Common Cause. “Members of Congress will hear directly from their constituents — everyday Americans from all walks of life — on why net neutrality is important to them. Tomorrow’s advocacy demonstrates the strong voice of the American people demanding an open internet and urging their elected officials to support the resolution restoring the FCC’s net neutrality rules.”
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $104,000 in one-time donations and to add 1340 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy