Broadband Access

In recent weeks, industry and big money opposition have continued to run a smear campaign to stall Gigi Sohn’s confirmation to serve as FCC commissioner. These attacks have now turned to a more bigoted and hateful nature in an effort to keep the FCC deadlocked. A deadlocked FCC is unable to advance key priorities that address the communications needs of all households. Common Cause calls on the Senate to condemn these attacks and rapidly confirm her to the FCC.

Common Cause has issued a strongly worded plea for the U.S. Senate to confirm Gigi Sohn as a new commissioner to the FCC, saying that “in recent weeks, industry and big money opposition have continued to run a smear campaign to stall Gigi Sohn’s confirmation to serve as FCC commissioner. These attacks have now turned to a more bigoted and hateful nature in an effort to keep the FCC deadlocked. A deadlocked FCC is unable to advance key priorities that address the communications needs of all households. Common Cause calls on the Senate to condemn these attacks and rapidly confirm her to the FCC.” “It is disgraceful that the FCC has been forced into deadlock since the beginning of the Biden administration while big money opposition continues to run a sleazy and bigoted campaign to stall Ms. Sohn’s confirmation,” added Michael Copps, former FCC commissioner and Common Cause special adviser in a statement to the press. “Industry gatekeepers will go to any lengths to smear Ms. Sohn’s name, all to derail her confirmation because they know a fully functional FCC will hold them accountable for engaging in anti-consumer practices.” “Ms. Sohn is more than qualified to be a commissioner and has spent her entire career fighting for the public interest – the core mission of the FCC,” Copps said. “She has the support of nearly 250 organizations including groups from across the political spectrum. We urge the senate to condemn the continued smear campaign against Ms. Sohn and quickly confirm her to the FCC.”

"Industry gatekeepers and big-money opposition have done their part to stall Ms. Sohn's confirmation because they know a fully functional FCC would hold them accountable for engaging in discriminatory and anticompetitive practices," former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, now special adviser to advocacy group Common Cause, said yesterday.

Today marks the one year anniversary of Gigi Sohn’s nomination to serve as FCC commissioner. Ms. Sohn was first nominated on October 6, 2021 and has yet to receive a confirmation vote. The delay in her confirmation has kept the vacancy open and the FCC deadlocked in a 2-2 split. A deadlocked FCC is unable to adopt meaningful reforms that address communications needs of our communities.

Pro-democracy organization Common Cause said the unregulated Internet since 2017 has seen providers throttle popular video streaming services and degrade video quality to force customers to pay more for better quality, as well as create monopolist plans that favor its services over others. "This approach also weakened the FCC's ability to ensure households remained connected during the height of the pandemic," Yosef Getachew, Common Cause media and democracy program director, said in a statement.

Today, Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) along with 28 co-sponsors in the Senate and 26 co-sponsors in the House, introduced the Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act. This bill would codify the classification of broadband as a telecommunications service. The bill would also return authority to the Federal Communications Commission to oversee broadband providers and allow the agency to promulgate strong net neutrality rules. Common Cause has long believed that a free and open Internet is essential to our democracy, and is proud to endorse the Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act.