Sen. Jim DeMint (R - South Carolina) recently cosponsored an amendment with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison prohibiting the FCC from enforcing new Net Neutrality regulations. Net Neutrality regulations prevent Internet Service Providers from restricting access to certain internet resources and content in an effort to control the market (e.g. the exclusion of a Google Voice application from the iPhone app store because it might compete with services offered by AT&T). Members of the telecom industry therefore oppose Net Neutrality regulations.
During the 2008 election cycle, DeMint's leadership PAC, MINT PAC, accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the telecom industry, including AT&T ($10,000), Comcast ($8,000), the National Cable & Telecommunications Association ($5,000), and Verizon ($5,000). To date, MINT PAC has received $2,000 from Verizon for the 2010 campaign cycle.
DeMint sits on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which has jurisdiction over communications.