Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) President Grover Norquist sent a letter to senators on Tuesday, informing them that their vote on net neutrality may be considered in ATR’s yearly congressional scorecards, which rate congressmen based on their votes. The Senate floor debate to overturn the Federal Communication Commission’s Internet regulation took place on Wednesday in preparation for a vote expected Thursday.
“We write to inform you that each of our organizations, together representing millions of Americans, will consider rating a vote in favor of Senate Joint Resolution 6 to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) net neutrality Internet regulations in our respective congressional ratings,” said the letter.
Conservatives oppose net neutrality regulations from the government, maintaining that the Internet is such a success exactly because the government has not intervened in the market forces at work.
The letter was signed by four other organizations: Taxpayers Protection Alliance, Hispanic Leadership Fund, Americans for Prosperity and Council for Citizens Against Government Waste.
The letter outlined that the FCC “enacted these net neutrality rules despite a complete lack of congressional authority and after being told by a court that they lack jurisdiction,”and that the “order also runs contrary to the broad and bipartisan conversation in Washington on how best to grow the economy and spur job creation.”
Americans for Prosperity and the Taxpayers Protection Alliance stated in the letter that their organizations will also rate senators on their vote on the issue.
The organizations said that the rule is “a prime case of unnecessary rules emanating from unelected bureaucrats that will cause economic harm and cost hundreds of thousands of American jobs, as numerous studies have pointed out.” (RELATED: Reid hopes GOP will ‘break away’ from Norquist [VIDEO])
“Under the U.S. Constitution,” The letter continued, “it is your role in the U.S. Senate to craft laws — not the role of federal agencies that are bypassing Congress.”
Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison submitted the letter for the record during Wednesday’s net neutrality debate in the Senate.
This article was updated after publication to correct the name of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance.