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[Pages S1715-S1716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NET NEUTRALITY
Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I rise in defense of the internet. This is
a fight for innovation, for entrepreneurialism, for the American
economy, a fight for free speech--the cornerstone of our democracy--a
fight for the most powerful platform for commerce and communications in
the history of the planet. This is a fight for net neutrality.
Today nearly every Member of the Senate Democratic caucus introduced
a bill, the Save the Internet Act, to put net neutrality rules back on
the books. Congressman Mike Doyle is leading the same effort over in
the House.
In the Senate, we have already successfully passed the proposal. The
newly introduced Save the Internet Act and the Congressional Review Act
we approved last Congress will have the same effect--overturning the
Trump administration's FCC's wrongheaded decision and restoring the
open internet order.
Last May, in a historic, bipartisan CRA vote of 52 to 47, in the
Senate on this floor, we sent a message to President Trump about what a
free and open internet means, free of corporate control, open to all
who want to communicate, engage, and innovate. We made clear this
Congress will not fall for President Trump's special interest agenda
and his broadband baron allies.
This bill does what the American people want. It restores the rules
so people are not subject to higher prices, slower internet speeds, and
even blocked websites because the big broadband providers want to pump
up their profits. With this bill, we will do right by the people who
sent us here and fight to protect the internet as we know it.
This is a fight which we can win. There is tremendous power on this
issue. Republicans and Democrats alike agree we need net neutrality so
the sky is the limit. Support for our position will only continue to
grow.
The critics claim the sky hasn't fallen since the FCC repeal, so why
do we need net neutrality at all?
The answer is simple. There is pending litigation right now in the DC
Circuit Court challenging the FCC's repeal. So there is every reason in
the world why they would not change their practices until the legal
matter is settled in court. Any prudent business would act cautiously
when there is an issue pending before a court, but once the issue is
resolved in court, there are no rules. They can do what they want.
In fact, I attended the court hearing and listened to 5 hours of oral
argument. I saw firsthand how the FCC and
[[Page S1716]]
broadband industry used tortured logic to defend the repeal of net
neutrality and reclassification of broadband.
I also organized an amicus brief with 100 other Members of the Senate
and House in defense of the net neutrality rules. I am confident we
will prevail in court. Net neutrality is just another way of saying
nondiscrimination, just another way of saying big companies can't
discriminate against small companies; that big companies can't
discriminate against small individuals; that they have equal access to
the internet. They don't have to pay extra to gain access. Net
neutrality means nondiscrimination. Those are the rules we need for the
internet in order to see explosive economic growth because of the new
ideas that are able to be introduced and at the same time so democracy
can flourish because every voice is treated equally on the internet.
So whether it is in the Halls of Congress or in the courts, we will
not stop fighting until net neutrality is fully restored. We are on the
right side of history, and we will not give up this fight until we have
won.
I thank you for the time.
At this point, I yield the floor.
____________________