Courtney Joins Discharge Petition to Force Vote on Restoring Net Neutrality

(Washington, DC) — Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) signed a discharge petition in the House of Representatives to force a vote on a "Congressional Review Act" resolution that would restore net neutrality. The push in the House follows a successful bipartisan vote in the U.S. Senate Wednesday on a similar measure. In the House, a discharge petition requires a majority of the seated members of the House of Representatives to sign-on in order to discharge a bill from committee for a vote in the full chamber.

"With the bipartisan vote in the Senate yesterday to restore net neutrality, now is the time for Republicans and Democrats in the House to come together to force a vote on this issue and that's why I signed the petition from the floor today," said Courtney. "I have heard from countless people across the country and in eastern Connecticut who understand why net neutrality is so important to protect consumers and maintain free and equal access to the internet. When the FCC repealed net neutrality in December, there was absolutely no evidence that the rule was not working, and the only conceivable justification for the decision was fulfilling a political promise that this administration made to special interests. I look forward to working with my colleagues to reinstate this policy that was working for the American people and small businesses who are the drivers of the internet economy."

Watch a video of Congressman Courtney speaking about the Senate vote Wednesday

In December, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under the Trump administration repealed a 2015 rule that established net neutrality preventing telecommunications companies from slowing down or blocking access to individual websites. Since then, Speaker Paul Ryan and House Republicans have refused to allow any debate on restoring the widely popular rules.

# # #