[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 64 (Friday, April 12, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     VOTE EXPLANATION ON H.R. 1644

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DAVID B. McKINLEY

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 12, 2019

  Mr. McKINLEY. Madam Speaker, on Wednesday, I voted against H.R. 1644 
because it could open Internet Service Providers (ISP's) in rural areas 
to burdensome regulations that stifle innovation and slow the 
deployment of efficient and reliable broadband internet service. I 
would like to take this opportunity to discuss my vote.
  A free and open internet is critically important, but heavy-handed 
regulation is not the only way to achieve net neutrality. I support the 
important concepts of no blocking, no throttling, and no paid 
prioritization and have cosponsored legislation to support this 
including: The Promoting Internet Freedom and Innovation Act of 2019 
(H.R. 1096), the Open Internet Act of 2019 (H.R. 1006), and ACCESS 
BROADBAND Act (H.R. 1328.)
  Congress passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, designating 
broadband as a Title I Information Service and subjecting it to a 
``light touch'' regulatory system. As a result, the internet 
transformed into one of the most important drivers of economic growth 
and job creation.
  In 2015, the Obama Administration's Federal Communications Commission 
(FCC) reclassified the internet as a Title II Telecommunications 
Service, implementing heavy regulations and reporting requirements 
originally intended for rotary landline phones. This action led to a 
$3.6 billion decline in broadband investment; the first period of 
declining investment in the internet era. In 2017, the Trump FCC 
reversed the order to return the internet to its original light touch 
framework.
  H.R. 1644 would bring back the heavy-handed regulation and government 
control of the internet. The measure would lock in approximately 700 
unpublished rules that have not been shared with Members of Congress, 
some of which would allow the FCC to set rates, impose new taxes, 
approve the deployment of new technologies, and dictate how internet 
companies interact with their customers. The internet has thrived 
without government intervention and should continue to do so.
  Most importantly, I have heard from many small internet service 
providers in West Virginia that the reclassification forced them to 
comply with extensive rules. These rules require them to write new 
policies, take money, and employee time to complete verifications on 
prioritization that they were not capable of engaging in to begin with. 
This bureaucracy is not only incredibly burdensome to small businesses, 
but it drives vital resources away from the deployment of broadband 
internet service in rural areas that need it most.
  Lacking broadband service is more than an inconvenience, it is a 
barrier to education, connectivity, and economic growth. It is my hope 
that we can arrive at a permanent bipartisan solution that protects 
consumers, encourages innovation, and preserves an open internet. 
Unfortunately, this bill does not accomplish that.
  I am hopeful that we can come to a bipartisan solution in good faith. 
The state of West Virginia is blessed with beautiful mountains and 
heavily forested land. However, the geography that makes our state so 
special also poses unique challenges in deploying internet technology.

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