Chairman Thune and Chairman Upton Urge President Obama to Work With Them on Internet rules

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and House Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) sent a letter to President Barack Obama seeking his partnership to establish permanent protections for an open Internet and avoid protracted litigation -- goals that can only be achieved through legislation.

The Chairmen wrote, "We believe there is an opportunity to work together to provide legislative certainty to the net[work] neutrality goals you articulated on November 10, 2014. We have put forward legislation that seeks to codify the principles you highlighted in your statement, including prohibiting blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization. This legislation places these principles into law, without the uncertainty of litigation that [Federal Communications Commission] action would entail. Working together to craft sustainable protections will have lasting benefits for our country and Internet users alike. Finding an agreement on enforceable authority for the FCC will have a profound, positive impact on Internet users, edge innovators, and infrastructure investment -- all without the legal uncertainty that exists absent clear statutory guidance."