[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 154 (Thursday, October 22, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10702-S10703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. McCAIN:
  S. 1836. A bill to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission 
from further regulating the Internet; to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation.
  Mr. McCAIN.  Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce 
legislation that would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission 
from enacting rules that would seek to regulate the Internet. Today the 
commission will meet to determine whether the historically open 
architecture and free flow of the Internet should be subject to onerous 
Federal regulation. Specifically, the commission will seek to impose 
``net neutrality'' rules that would reign in the network management 
practices of all Internet service providers, including wireless phone 
companies.
  Skeptical consumers should rightly view these new rules as yet 
another government power grab over a private service provided by a 
private company in a competitive marketplace. Earlier this year the 
administration moved to control much of the auto industry and the 
banking industry and now the administration is trying to control the 
technology industry by regulating its very core: the Internet.
  This government takeover of the Internet will stifle innovation, in 
turn slowing our economic turnaround and further depressing an already 
anemic job market. Outside of health care, the technology industry is 
the nation's fastest growing job market. Innovation and job growth in 
this sector of our economy is the key to America's future prosperity. 
In 2008, while most industries were slashing jobs in the worst economy 
in nearly 30 years, high tech industries actually added over 77,000 
good high-paying jobs. Just this month, Google and Yahoo both released 
positive earnings reports.
  According to a report released last week by the Recovery 
Accountability and Transparency Board, which oversees the stimulus 
plan, 30,000 jobs have been directly created or saved by contractors 
who received money from the $787 billion stimulus package for 
infrastructure and social programs. This pales in comparison to the 
fact that the high tech industry produced more than double the number 
of jobs so far ``created or saved'' by the so-called ``stimulus 
legislation.'' It did so without the assistance of $787 billion from 
the wallets of taxpayers. Maybe a better stimulus package for this 
economy would be an administration decision to keep the Internet free 
of government control and regulation.
  Unfortunately, the administration seems oblivious to the fact that 
their stated opposition to the supposed excesses of capitalism is at 
odds with a new regulatory regime being lobbied for by the most 
powerful businesses. As the Chairman of the Federal Communications 
Commission has recognized, Americans have benefitted enormously from 
the Internet's ``fundamental architecture of openness.'' The light 
touch regulatory approach toward the Internet that was advanced by 
previous administrations has brought Americans social networking, low 
cost long distance calling, texting, telemedicine and over 85,000 
``apps'' for the iPhone. It also brought us Twitter, You Tube, Hulu, 
Kindle, the Blackberry and the Palm. It has allowed the Internet to 
change our lives forever.
  The wireless industry exploded over the past twenty years due to 
limited government regulation. Wireless carriers invested $100 billion 
in infrastructure and development over the past three years which has 
led to faster networks, more competitors in the marketplace and lower 
prices compared to

[[Page S10703]]

any other country. Meanwhile, wired telephones and networks have become 
a slow dying breed as they are mired in state and Federal regulations, 
universal service contribution requirements and limitations on use.
  It is for these reasons that today I introduce The Internet Freedom 
Act of 2009 that will keep the Internet free from government control 
and regulation. This will allow for continued innovation that will in 
turn create more high-paying jobs for the millions of Americans who are 
out of work or seeking new employment. Keeping businesses free from 
oppressive regulations is the best stimulus for the current economy.
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