Oakland, CA – ColorOfChange.org applauded the selection of Rep. Anna Eshoo as Ranking Member of the House telecom subcommittee after the group had argued that Congressman Bobby Rush was an unsuitable candidate given his long history of undermining the open Internet. Eshoo was elected by her peers today by a vote of 9 – 14.

ColorOfChange’s rank and file members played a critical role in Eshoo’s victory. Nearly 16,000 signed a petition asking Democratic leaders not to support Rush’s candidacy for CTI Ranking Member. Those petitions were later delivered to Pelosi, then-Energy and Commerce Chair Henry Waxman and leaders of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. In addition, ColorOfChange members made 800 calls to Pelosi’s offices on the Hill and in her district, while over 400 calls were made to Waxman’s offices in the days leading up to the subcommittee vote. Before ColorOfChange.org’s campaign, Rush’s seniority made him the clear frontrunner for the position.

“With House Republicans already lining up to attack net neutrality, we needed a strong leader on open Internet issues – which we got with Rep. Eshoo,” said James Rucker, executive director of ColorOfChange.org. “Congressman Rush’s position on net neutrality didn’t serve the public, and more than 16,000 of our members spoke out to say so. This is a big moment for the open Internet, and for political accountability.”

In late November, Rucker sent a letter to then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, pointing out Congressman Rush’s advocacy against net neutrality – a key policy priority for the President and many Democrats. The group highlighted two key incidents:

 

• In 2006, Congressman Rush voted against Rep. Edward Markey’s amendment to the COPE Act, which would have enshrined the FCC’s net neutrality principles into law. In stating his opposition, Rush infamously described net neutrality as “a solution in search of a problem.”
• In 2010, Congressman Rush signed a letter circulated by Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) that assailed net neutrality, focusing on the FCC’s efforts to reclassify broadband Internet. Green’s effort, which netted the support of 74 Democrats, helped discourage the FCC from pursuing more stringent net neutrality rules.

Rush’s close relationships with the telecommunications industry also cast a pall over his bid. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, AT&T is Rush’s second-largest single contributor over his career. Also among his top 10 lifetime contributors are the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (#8) and Verizon (#10). In addition, SBC (later purchased by AT&T) made a 3-year, $1 million grant to a Chicago community center bearing Rush’s name in 2001.

Under pressure from ColorOfChange.org, Congressman Rush moved to soften his position and tone toward net neutrality in recent weeks. Since late November, his office has released several statements supporting the FCC’s recent rulemaking on the open Internet – a proceeding criticized by many open Internet advocates for not going far enough to protect consumers.

Rucker responded to the shift in a second letter to Pelosi delivered last week. He wrote, “…Rush helped create the political ecosystem that led the FCC to pass weak open Internet rules that will do little to protect regular people. Now that ineffectual policy is in place, he has promised to vigorously defend it. [These statements] strike me as little more than an effort to bolster his beleaguered candidacy. It simply is not believable that the Congressman thinks a few weeks of stated support can overcome a record of opposition dating back to 2006.”