Dem FCC commissioner blasts net neutrality repeal

Mignon Clyburn, the sole Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission, blasted the FCC Chairman Ajit Pai for launching an attack on net neutrality.

Clyburn blamed Pai and other Republicans for his plan to roll back the rules, announced Wednesday, saying that it will result in a regulatory oversight vacuum over internet service providers.

“They’re willing to dismantle a carefully struck balance that has served us well, and grant the wishes of a handful of broadband providers that soon will have the right to police themselves when it comes to consumer rights,” she told reporters outside the capitol on Wednesday.

{mosads}The remarks came shortly after Pai unveiled his proposal to repeal the Obama-era net neutrality rules, which require internet service providers to treat all data traffic equally.

The proposal will be up for an initial vote in May.

“The chairman of the FCC unveiled a plan that would dismantle the open internet as we know it,” Clyburn said

“The FCC must never take a backseat while the nation’s broadband providers are calling all the shots,” she added.