Three-fourths of Republican voters say they support net neutrality — and party lawmakers are starting to speak out against repealing it

FILE PHOTO: Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, testifies before a Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., June 20, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein/File Photo

The Republican-led Federal Communications Commission will vote to repeal its net neutrality rules on Thursday.
Some Republican members of Congress are asking the FCC chairman to delay the vote.
A recent poll found three out of four Republican voters want to keep the net neutrality rules.

The Republican-led Federal Communications Commission is slated to repeal its net-neutrality rules on Thursday, but many members of the party aren't on board with the move.

With a recent poll indicating that three-fourths of Republican voters oppose the repeal effort, members of the party's congressional contingent have started to speak out against it.

In an open letter sent Tuesday, for example, Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado asked FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to delay the planned vote. Coffman, a Republican, posted the letter to Twitter:

Thx to everyone who has contacted me in regards to #NetNeutrality. Below is the letter I sent to Chairman @AjitPaiFCC today to ensure the continuation of a free and open #internet. http://pic.twitter.com/oKqh7lxaLI
— Rep. Mike Coffman (@RepMikeCoffman) December 12, 2017

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, a Republican from Nebraska, also tweeted a statement against the net neutrality repeal:

I recently urged Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to preserve the framework of net neutrality. The upcoming decision should not allow for corporate monopolistic domination, whether internet service provider delivery or content creators. #NetNeutraility
— Jeff Fortenberry (@JeffFortenberry) December 11, 2017

Meanwhile, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, and representatives Dave Reichert of Washington, Mark Sanford of South Carolina, and John Curtis of Utah — all Republicans — have recently expressed support for net neutrality and indicated they are skeptical of the FCC proposal, the International Business Times reported.

A spokesperson for Pai didn't respond to requests for comment.

The breaking of ranks from Republican lawmakers comes as a poll from the University of Maryland shows that the net neutrality rules have wide support among the party's voters, the Washington Post reported.

The FCC is set to vote on the repeal proposal Thursday morning. With three Republican commissioners who are opposed to the net-neutrality rules constituting a majority of the commission, the proposal is expected to pass.

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