[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 75 (Wednesday, May 9, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S2559]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             NET NEUTRALITY

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now, there is one final topic--net 
neutrality. Later today, Democrats will take the Senate another step 
toward the consideration of a resolution to restore net neutrality. 
When the Republican-led FCC voted to repeal net neutrality in December, 
they handed the large internet service providers all the cards. They 
said: Do what you will with the internet. Charge consumers more for 
faster service if you like or segment the internet into packages 
forcing the average family to purchase faster times for their favorite 
websites. Let big corporations purchase faster internet service while 
startups, small businesses, and consumers are left in the dust. Public 
schools, rural Americans, communities of color, or anyone in a remote 
area or without substantial resources could be at a significant 
disadvantage if the ISPs start charging more for decent internet.
  People say: Well, let a private company do whatever it wants. Let 
them charge whatever they want. But in certain goods, which are 
essential, we don't do that--utilities, highways. The same thing now 
applies to the internet. It is a necessity, and we have to have 
protections for average folks, for small businesses, for working 
families. That is why Democrats are so concerned about net neutrality 
and why we are trying to restore it. We believe that the internet 
should be kept free and open like our highways--accessible and 
affordable to every American, regardless of the ability to pay. It is 
not that you don't pay; it is that if you are a little guy or gal, you 
shouldn't pay a lot more than the big shots. We don't do that on 
highways, we don't do that with utilities, and we shouldn't do it on 
the internet, which is another modern, 21st-century highway that is a 
necessity.
  Every Democrat supports our net neutrality CRA, as well as one 
Republican, Senator Collins. Unlike most legislation, Democrats can 
force a vote on the floor of the Senate on our proposal. Today, Senator 
Markey will take the first step in that process. He is going to 
discharge the CRA from the Commerce Committee to the Senate calendar. 
That means we will have a vote on the ability to preserve net 
neutrality and help the little guy pay for services on the internet, 
and that will make that vote available next week. So I urge average 
Americans--young people, old people, everyone in between--and small 
businesses to email, call, write, visit your Senator on the Republican 
side, and urge them to preserve net neutrality. It is only right, it is 
only fair, and it makes economic sense.
  No matter what, my friends on the other side are going to have to put 
themselves on the record on this issue. Whose side are you on--the big 
internet and cable providers or the average consumer who depends on the 
internet? This vote can be summed up in one phrase: Whose side are you 
on? I urge all Americans--particularly younger Americans who get this 
better than my generation because they have lived with the internet 
their whole life--to contact their Senators this week and next week 
before the vote and demand that their Senator restore net neutrality.
  Americans, please contact your Senators. Your wallet and well-being, 
in ways far more significant than most things we do here, depend on it.
  I yield the floor.

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