[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7041]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                 ICANN

  (Mr. WILLIAMS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. WILLIAMS. Mr. Speaker, the President recently announced that the 
U.S. Commerce Department would end its Internet agreement with ICANN, a 
nonprofit organization who has overseen our databases since 1998.
  President Obama's plans could lead to international control and come 
at a time when nations all over the world are looking for any 
technological advantage they can gain over the United States.
  Both Republicans and Democrats alike agree that the Obama 
administration's decision to cut ties with ICANN could lead to an 
uncertain future that hinders free speech and threatens national 
security.
  The United States has always been the most protective country of free 
speech in the entire world. As other countries and international 
organizations advocate for a more globalized Web, the trampling of our 
First Amendment rights and greater censorship will be at an even higher 
risk.
  It is imperative that we closely monitor this situation moving 
forward to ensure that free speech in any medium is never censored.
  In God we trust.

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