Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) took to the Senate floor Thursday morning (Sept. 28) to oppose renominating FCC chair Ajit Pai. His remarks came just before a planned cloture vote on debate on Pai's nomination to a new, five-year term on the FCC.
Wyden said his opposition was rooted in Pai's proposal to roll back Title II classification of ISPs and rethink net-neutrality rules. Wyden has been one of the Hill's most vociferous critics of that proposal.
Wyden said Pai had worked long and hard to undermine net neutrality, which he said was folks getting a "fair shake" online.
Related: Gigi Sohn Writes That Pai Should Be Fired
While Pai's renomination and confirmation are expected to eventually go through, Democrats were using debate time to make their cases and record their grievances.
Wyden also took aim at ISPs, saying their commitment to "voluntary" net neutrality was bogus. He said there was as much likelihood that they would do so voluntarily as that his nine-year-old son would voluntary limit himself to one dessert. "It just isn't going to happen."
He said Pai was on the side of the big cable companies over small businesses and consumers.
The senator said Pai had signaled he was blowing up the internet's level playing field by saying he would take a weed whacker to regulations.
He said the debate was not over Google vs. Oracle, but about start-ups and small businesses wanting to grow.
Wyden said AT&T could give HBO streamers a break over competitors -- AT&T is trying to buy HBO parent Time Warner.
Wyden's speech followed a similar attack on Pai by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) the day before.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) added that Pai simply sides with big corporations and endorsed Wyden's remarks.
pioniere on September 29th, 2017 at 02:30 UTC »
He's right, Pai is clearly in the pocket of the ISPs. Absolutely no doubt.
LocoPojo on September 29th, 2017 at 02:02 UTC »
The more important news here is that Pai is up for renomination, as early as October 2nd. Call your senators and let them know that asshole should be fired for his systematic efforts to dismantle net neutrality.
This is essentially universally accepted by internet users, but your senators may not be as cool as mine (fuck yeah Wyden).
me_again_21 on September 28th, 2017 at 22:44 UTC »
I'm conflicted because I knew it wasn't literal, but the title gave me hope that a senator was going to pick Pai up and slam him into the floor like a WWE wrestler.