Response from Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) on Net Neutrality

I contacted Scott Perry (R-PA), my U.S. Congressman, to encourage him to support net neutrality. Like Pat Toomey (R-PA), my U.S. Senator, he opposes it:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) newly proposed net neutrality rules. I appreciate learning your views on this issue.

I'm committed to doing everything possible to ensure a transparent, accountable, and openly available Internet. In the last year, I voted for Representative Justin Amash's amendment to end NSA mass surveillance (H.Amdt. 413) and supported the Digital Accountability and Transparency (DATA) Act (H.R. 2061), which requires information on all federal spending to be posted to a comprehensive and searchable website.

As you know, earlier this year the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia struck down portions of the FCC's 2010 Open Internet Order, ruling that the agency's rules overstepped its regulatory authority under current law. As a result, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler proposed a new set of net neutrality rules on May 15, 2014. While these rules are not finalized, the FCC is encouraging interested individuals and groups to comment on the proposal, either through the FCC website or by sending an e-mail to openinternet@fcc.gov.

Know that I support a hands-off approach to the Internet. Since the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was passed, new technologies and advancements in telecommunications have rapidly developed due to the limited government regulation of Internet traffic and services. According to the FCC National Broadband Plan, this unrestricted free market has provided broadband to over 95% of Americans without government intervention or interference. Please know that I will continue to support policies that preserve the Internet's open structure to promote innovation, spur economic growth, and protect the free exchange of ideas.

Once again, thank you for contacting me. I appreciate your concerns and welcome your continued feedback. Please visit my website at perry.house.gov to submit further questions/comments or to sign up for my e-newsletter, Facebook page, and/or Twitter updates.

Scott Perry
Member of Congress

It was rather difficult find Rep. Perry's position on net neutrality. I couldn't find any news articles or press releases, and I never received a response to my emails, tweets, or Facebook messages. I finally called his Washington D.C. office; I spoke with a very polite and helpful staffer, and they sent me the email above.

Whatever your position is on net neutrality, if you are a U.S. citizen, I encourage you to contact your senators and representatives and let them know where you stand. We may not all have the financial resources to compete with large telecoms, but we do still have the votes.