Crowdfunded net neutrality billboards will expose Rep Jeff Fortenberry for ignoring constituents and small business owners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 25, 2018
Contact: Josh Tabish, 778-990-1218, press@fightforthefuture.org

Nebraska Congressman claims to support an open Internet, but refuses to sign CRA resolution that would restore it

Digital rights group Fight for the Future has released a mock-up and launched a crowdfunding page to put up as many billboards as possible in the district of Rep Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), who just insulted his own constituents and small business owners in Nebraska by cosponsoring symbolic net neutrality legislation that can’t pass this Congress while refusing to sign on to the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to reverse the FCC’s repeal––which already passed the Senate with bipartisan support.

A new poll released yesterday shows that wide margins of voters in battleground districts will strongly consider where a lawmaker stands on net neutrality when deciding who to vote for in midterm elections, making Rep Fortenberry’s decision not to support the CRA not only hypocritical but potentially very damaging heading into election season.

See the crowdfunding page and preview of the billboard design here: https://donate.fightforthefuture.org/campaigns/fortenberry/

“Jeff Fortenberry betrayed you,” reads the billboard design, “He took $99,000 from ISPs and put them ahead of Nebraska businesses and Internet users.” It then provides his district office phone number and encourages viewers to call and ask why he won’t support the CRA to restore net neutrality.

“Representative Fortenberry must think his constituents are fools,” said Evan Greer, Deputy Director of Fight for the Future, “It’s insulting to ignore the overwhelming majority of voters, and thousands of small businesses, and pretend to support net neutrality while refusing to do the one thing in your power to save it. Politicians in Congress need to understand that Internet users are pissed off and paying extremely close attention. They won’t be fooled and they won’t be placated by empty actions. If Rep Fortenberry truly supports net neutrality, he should sign on to the CRA resolution to restore it. If not, we’re crowdfunding billboards to make sure his constituents know that he sold them out.”

Fight for the Future plans to put up as many billboards as possible in Rep Fortenberry’s district based on crowdfunding. If Rep Fortenberry does the right thing and signs on to the CRA, the funds will be used for billboards targeting other lawmakers who claim to support net neutrality while refusing to do anything to protect their constituents from ISP abuses.

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