Following Senate CRA Vote, ITIF Calls for Bipartisan Net Neutrality Legislation

WASHINGTON—Following the Senate’s passage of the net neutrality Resolution of Disapproval of the Restoring Internet Freedom Order, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading science and tech policy think tank, issued the followed statement from Director of Broadband and Spectrum Policy Doug Brake:

Though the Democrats have legitimate concerns when it comes to the current net neutrality regime, the Congressional Review Act is not the right mechanism to address them. The legal framework the CRA would restore was designed for monopoly public utilities, not a dynamic 21^st century technology. What’s more, the CRA vote is going to run into a brick wall in the Republican-controlled House. Now is the time for policymakers to work toward bipartisan compromise legislation that will stand the test of time.

A recent ITIF report offers a proposed framework for bipartisan legislation that would establish Federal Communications Commission (FCC) oversight of light-touch net neutrality rules, as well as expand the scope of existing proposals by pairing funding for rural broadband, broadband adoption and digital-literacy programs with baseline rules to protect and promote the open Internet.