The Verge has a great look at the $101 million in telecom contributions to U.S. senators and representatives in anticipation of today’s net neutrality decision by the Federal Communication Commission.
As The Verge notes, this decision is likely to wind up before Congress again. Colorado congressional members received about $2.7 million from telecom interests including Comcast, Verizon and AT&T. The data covers money received from 1989 through this year.
Rolling back the Obama era FCC decision protecting net neutrality would allow those companies and others to charge Internet users more for some content – that of their competitors, for example.
Here’s a look at telecom donations to Coloradans in Congress, based on The Verge’s numbers:
Nationally, Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet ranks 16th and GOP Sen. Cory Gardner 20th in the Senate.
Bennet sent a letter to the FCC this morning asking the agency to “protect a free and open Internet.”
Our office has received nearly 25,000 letters & calls from Coloradans on #NetNeutrality. The consensus could not be clearer: We must protect a free & open Internet. This morning, sent a letter to @AjitPaiFCC in final attempt to #ProtectNetNeutrality. pic.twitter.com/53taLNckxC
— Michael F. Bennet (@SenBennetCO) December 14, 2017
Gardner in the past has supported ending net neutrality, however.
Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, ranks 21st among the 435 House members. But she’s also opposed to the expected FCC rollback.
.@AjitPaiFCC plans @FCC vote today to gut #NetNeutrality, but I’m pushing back. I joined 117 congressional colleagues in a letter urging him to cancel this vote. The future of the free and open internet is at stake. https://t.co/hGtu90P3jY
— Rep. Diana DeGette (@RepDianaDeGette) December 14, 2017
Also signing that letter: Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, and Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Arvada.
Meanwhile, Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Aurora, is one of few Republicans who isn’t going along entirely with the FCC. In a letter earlier this week, he asked FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to postpone Thursday’s decision.
Thanks for the update Chairman @AjitPaiFCC….. however, I am still awaiting a response to my letter yesterday on #NetNeutrality. My staff has called your @FCC office and received no answer. Wonder why people are a bit upset? https://t.co/u9KeJVoe56
— Rep. Mike Coffman (@RepMikeCoffman) December 13, 2017
GOP Reps. Ken Buck, of Windsor, and Doug Lamborn, of Colorado Springs have opposed net neutrality in the past. It’s unclear where Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, stands on the issue.