Steven Dennis

Facebook, Twitter, and Google’s YouTube on Jan 17 told lawmakers that they support a legislative effort to restore net neutrality rules wiped out by the Federal Communications Commission in Dec. Executives appearing before the Senate Commerce Committee replied to Sen Ed Markey (D-MA) who asked their position on his resolution to nullify the FCC’s action. YouTube’s Juniper Downs, global head of public policy and government relations, said the platform “will support any effort” to put back in place the rules gutted by the FCC.

On the issue of network neutrality, Democratic Senators are planning to use the Congressional Review Act, or CRA to force a vote in Congress on the issue. Sen Claire McCaskill (D-MO) became the 30th senator to get behind the measure, giving Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) enough senators to call the vote. The CRA procedure gives Congress a chance to reverse an agency decision.

The Senate Intelligence Committee is still waiting on Twitter to answer questions in the committee’s Russia investigation, Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA) said.  “I’m disappointed. I’ve been disappointed throughout this” by Twitter Inc.’s failure to be more cooperative Vice Chairman Warner said. “The other companies met the deadline." Facebook and Alphabet's Google have delivered answers to detailed questions Senators posed after a public hearing with the three technology giants in 2017 on disclosures that Russians had exploited their networks.