A group of Republican senators are spearheading a Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution of disapproval to nullify the Biden administration Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) so-called “Digital Discrimination” order.
The new rule, according to the FCC, promotes “equal access to broadband internet access service” by stopping “digital discrimination of access to that service based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion and national origin.”
Even though there is no evidence tech companies are withholding internet access from communities based on race, the Biden administration claims it is happening anyway – and has seized sweeping new powers to control internet access. (RELATED: Admiral Downplayed Threat, But Houthis Severed Undersea Cables)
“Under the FCC's new order, nearly every aspect of the internet—including a broadband provider's deployment decisions, network reliability, network maintenance, equipment, pricing, promotional discounts, customer service, language options, credit checks, marketing and advertising, and more—will be subject to potential FCC enforcement actions, including multi-million-dollar forfeitures and injunctive orders, under a disparate impact standard,” reads a statement released by the senators.
“The order, which the FCC voted to finalize in November, gives the federal government control over nearly every aspect of the broadband industry while exposing companies to expansive, indeterminate, and crippling liability under a ‘disparate impact' standard,” the statement continues. “The FCC's order, which ignores the plain language of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will harm broadband investment and undermine the goal of promoting high-speed internet access for all Americans.”
“Industry should drive industry—not the government,” said Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla). “The latest rules coming from the Biden Administration are in a continued effort to take over the internet. Broadband is the example of American innovation. If we allow the Biden Administration to impose its overreaching rules to control the internet, progress and ingenuity will slow significantly. My colleagues and I are calling to overturn the Biden Administration's actions and to stop their internet takeover attempt.” (RELATED: GOP Senator Caught Nodding In Agreement With Biden Amidst Boos From Colleagues)
“Despite admitting there's ‘little to no evidence' of discrimination by broadband companies, the Biden Administration has plowed ahead with government-mandated affirmative action and race-based pricing for broadband,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). “The only beneficiaries of the FCC's Orwellian ‘equity' plan are overzealous government regulators who want to control the internet. This resolution will roll back FCC Democrats' unlawful power grab.”
“The FCC's heavy-handed ‘Digital Discrimination' rule is a solution in search of a problem,” said Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). “It's a broad overreach that threatens to entangle the internet in red tape, jeopardizing the very innovation that has made it a cornerstone of modern life. This resolution is our stand against Biden's attempt to regulate the internet into oblivion, ensuring the internet remains a dynamic and competitive marketplace for ideas, not a utility subject to government whims.” Also joining Lankford, Cruz, and Lee on the joint resolution of disapproval are Senators Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Tim Scott (R-S.C. ), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
READ NEXT: Fired CNN Host Running As Republican For School Board: Report
