DNC’s Tom Perez jumps into net neutrality fight

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez jumped into the net neutrality fight on Wednesday, voicing his support for the policy during the net neutrality Day of Action.

“President Obama enacted historic and tough net neutrality rules for good reason — we need strong guidelines designed to protect budding startups and businesses from large corporations that might want to stamp out their competition,” Perez said in a statement.  

{mosads}“We need to fight to preserve the power a free and open Internet gives the marginalized and underrepresented to organize and have their voices heard,” he continued.

During the Day of Action, major internet companies, smaller service providers, lawmakers and advocacy groups are rallying in support of net neutrality rules enacted in 2015.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently soliciting comments on Chairman Ajit Pai’s (R) plan to roll back the rules in favor of the telecommunications industry’s desire for looser internet regulation.  

Pai and the telecom industry argue that net neutrality rules have been onerous and hurt consumers by stifling broadband investment and innovation.

Perez’s Wednesday statement is not his first pronouncement of support for net neutrality.

In April he took shots at the Trump administration for siding “with the big telecom companies and their lobbyists,” on the matter.