[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 6, 2019)]
[Senate]
[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.

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