[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 10377]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             NET NEUTRALITY

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, today is the net neutrality day of 
action. So I wanted to add a few words to this issue.
  We depend on a free and open internet to spur innovation and job 
creation, and our economy works best when innovators, entrepreneurs, 
and businesses of all sizes compete on a level playing field. Net 
neutrality, very simply, says that everyone--consumers, small 
businesses, startups--deserve the same access to and quality of 
internet as big corporations.
  When I was growing up in Brooklyn, my father owned a small 
exterminating business. If his competitor down the street had received 
preferred electricity service, he would have been rightly outraged, and 
the law would have protected him from that unfair treatment. We don't 
reserve certain highways for a single trucking company, and we don't 
limit phone service to hand-picked stores. We shouldn't reserve high-
speed internet for a favored few corporations, either, and that was the 
basis of the FCC's decision to preserve net neutrality back in 2015.
  Now, of course, conservative and industry interests see an 
opportunity to roll back these protections and free access to a free 
and open internet in order to favor powerful corporations. That seems 
to be what they want.
  President Trump's appointee to the FCC, Chairman Ajit Pai, has 
already taken several actions to undercut fair internet access. In his 
first 2 weeks on the job, Chairman Pai stopped nine companies from 
providing discounted high-speed internet to low-income individuals, and 
he jammed through nearly a dozen industry-backed actions, including 
some to begin curtailing net neutrality.
  Once again, this administration favors the big, wealthy, special 
corporate interests over the average American. The American people 
should realize that is what the Trump administration is doing time and 
again. They talk like they are for working people, but when it comes to 
actions like this one on net neutrality, they favor the big special 
interests that, Mr. and Mrs. American Consumer, are going to make sure 
that in many instances you pay more. It is another example of the Trump 
administration sticking up for big corporations and special interests 
to the detriment of the people and small businesses--exactly the 
opposite of what President Trump promised in his campaign.
  The Open Internet Order is working well, and it should remain 
undisturbed. If President Trump and Chairman Pai proceed down the path 
of dismantling net neutrality, they can expect a wall of resistance 
from Senate Democrats. We will fight tooth and nail to protect fair and 
equal internet access for all Americans. President Trump, our 
Republican colleagues, and Chairman Pai can expect a wall of resistance 
from the American people, as well, who are already making their voices 
heard in record numbers. So far, over 6 million--6 million--Americans 
have sent comments to the FCC on this issue. The fight has just begun, 
and we will not let up until the FCC abandons its wrong-headed plans.
  I yield the floor.

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