Advocacy Alert! Net neutrality protections eliminated in draft FCC order

Your advocacy is needed! As was expected, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman shared a plan to eliminate net neutrality. The FCC is scheduled to vote on the plan on December 14. The FCC is not accepting public comment, but we can put pressure on Congress to strongly disapprove the proposal. 

To take action, visit the American Library Association’s (ALA) advocacy engagement and contact your members of Congress. A pre-written letter is provided and you can personalize your email to make it more effective. If you prefer to call, you can use Engage to identify your members of Congress and obtain their contact information. Additional background information may also be found at advocacy engagement link.

ALA is seeking disapproval from all members of Congress, but has a particular interest in those who serve on committees that have oversight for the FCC—the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Please note that Representative Sarbanes serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Please encourage others to contact Congress, too. Thank you in advance for your advocacy efforts!

 

FCC Commissioner distributes proposal to reverse 2015 Net Neutrality Order

As you may have heard on the news, Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Commissioner Ajit Pai distributed an alternative plan to net neutrality to the FCC commissioners yesterday. The entire proposal is scheduled to be released today. The proposal reverses the Title II reclassification of the Internet and repeals net neutrality regulations. The FCC is expected to vote on the proposal at their meeting on December 14. The vote will likely be along party lines in support of reversing the FCC’s 2015 Net Neutrality Order.

No action is needed at this time. Working with other supporters of net neutrality, the American Library Association (ALA) Washington Office will review the draft order and make recommendations on how to advocate in the next couple of weeks. For more information , see the District Dispatch post on what libraries need to know.