U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Joins Letter to FCC Chairman Highlighting Importance of Net Neutrality to Women Across America

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined a group of 14 Senators, led by Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), in sending a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai highlighting the importance of net neutrality to women across America and urging him to reconsider the proposal he outlined last month to roll back critical online consumer protections by dismantling current net neutrality rules.

The letter was also signed by Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Kamala Harris (D-CA).

"Net neutrality is particularly important to women, as it affords women-owned businesses and startups an even playing field when competing with more established brands and content," the Senators wrote in the letter.

"The Internet is a powerful tool for civic engagement, as well as a means for economic and social mobility. We cannot overstate the importance of a free and open Internet to our nation's economy, innovators, entrepreneurs, and consumers -- including women and girls," the Senators added.

Net neutrality is the principle that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should provide equal access to all applications, content, platforms, and websites. The Federal Communications Commission adopted rules to provide a level playing field and protect against content discrimination, and these rules went into effect in June of 2015.

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