{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-colleagues-blast-trump-fcc-for-weakening-consumer-broadband-protections-raising-costs", "Wyden, Colleagues Blast Trump FCC for Weakening Consumer Broadband Protections, Raising Costs", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", "wyden", "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "A new FCC rule gives internet providers the green light to charge hidden fees\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reverse its decision to weaken broadband pricing labeling rules that inform consumers about the types of internet services they are buying before committing to a provider.\n\n\u201cThe broadband label framework was designed to work like nutrition labels, giving consumers a clear, consistent way to understand what services they are buying before they commit,\u201d the senators wrote to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. \u201cThe entire purpose of the broadband label is to show consumers the real, total cost of service so that they can make informed choices. Allowing providers to bundle these fees into vague line items recreates exactly the kind of billing opaqueness that Congress sought to end. Families need to see what they are being charged and why.\u201d\n\nThese broadband consumer label requirements were unanimously adopted in 2022. Congress gave the FCC explicit instructions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to create these labels showing speeds, costs, and data allowances of internet plans.\n\nThis FCC proposal reduces broadband consumer transparency by allowing internet service providers to remove the price listed of active plans in customer accounts, cut off phone support on pricing, and limit labels in various languages.\n\nWyden has been a longtime advocate in making broadband accessible and affordable. In October 2025, Wyden signed onto a similar letter on the FCC\u2019s vote to advance these changes that would weaken consumer broadband protections. As a result of Wyden\u2019s advocacy to correct inaccuracies in the National Broadband Map, the Department of Commerce under the Biden administration in 2023 announced $689 million to expand access to broadband internet to Oregon\u2019s rural and underserved communities. In August 2025, Wyden and Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., announced more than $2.2 million for rural broadband technical assistance across Oregon.\n\nThe letter was led by Senators Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Senator Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n, D-N.M. In addition to Wyden, the letter was signed by Senators Brian Schatz, D- Hawai\u2019i, Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Mark Warner, D-Va.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-colleagues-blast-trump-fcc-for-weakening-consumer-broadband-protections-raising-costs"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.450871117413044, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}