FCC commissioner blasts Biden’s ‘digital equity’ plan as 'unlawful power grab'

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FCC commissioner calls for nationwide ban on TikTok

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Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Brendan Carr is blasting President Biden's new plan to achieve "digital equity" as a "breathtaking" government power grab.

Carr said the FCC will vote next Wednesday on whether to adopt the president's plan to promote equal access to broadband internet access service.

A draft of the FCC order said the commission would implement a section of Biden's 2021 infrastructure bill to establish a framework to "facilitate equal access to broadband internet access service by preventing digital discrimination of access to that service based on income level, race, ethnicity, color, religion and national origin." 

Carr said he opposes the order, which he said would give the "Administrative State effective control of all Internet services and infrastructure."

Federal Communication Commission Commissioner Brendan Carr is seen testifying on Capitol Hill on December 5, 2019, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)

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"President Biden has called on the FCC to adopt new rules of breathtaking scope," Carr wrote Monday on X, formerly Twitter. "Those rules would give the federal government a roving mandate to micromanage nearly every aspect of how the Internet functions — from how ISPs allocate capital and where they build, to the services that consumers can purchase; from the profits that ISPs can realize and how they market and advertise services, to the discounts and promotions that consumers can receive."

"Talk about central planning," he added. "I oppose President Biden’s plan."

White House spokesperson Robyn Patterson defended the president's plan in a statement to Fox News Digital Tuesday evening.

"President Biden believes no parent should have to drive to a McDonald’s parking lot so their kid can do their homework online," Patterson said. "That’s why he worked with Democrats and Republicans alike to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to ensure every American has access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet."