Sen. Al Franken’s (D-Minn.) debut grilling a Supreme Court nominee was no joke. He asked Judge Sonia Sotomayor this week about one of the most pressing issues of our time: Net Neutrality and the future of an open Internet.

Franken raised questions about Internet service providers’ ability to speed up and slow down traffic, and he asked whether there is a “compelling First Amendment interest in ensuring this can’t happen and the Internet stays open and accessible.”

Net Neutrality - Sen Franken And Judge Sotomayor

Judge Sotomayor responded that the Internet is “revolutionary” and affects all areas of the economy and society. She said it is the courts’ role to respond to policies made by Congress.

Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, made the following statement:
“We applaud Senator Franken for raising important questions at today’s hearing about the future of the Internet. Building a 21st-century democracy is not possible without the free-flowing exchange of ideas. Today, Senator Franken and Judge Sotomayor both acknowledged that the Internet is undeniably essential to building our nation’s future. As our newest senator said today, our legislators have some work to do.”

Franken’s line of questioning marks the first time that Net Neutrality has emerged as an issue during a Supreme Court appointment hearing, suggesting a growing national consensus on the importance of an open Internet.