Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Mr. President, today I rise in opposition to the joint resolution of disapproval that
would reject the “Open Internet” (or net neutrality) rule put forward earlier this
year by the Federal Communications Commission. I am strong supporter of the principle of
network neutrality that the Open Internet rule seeks to protect … and I believe that
we should oppose this effort to reverse the FCC order.
The rule that this resolution seeks to eliminate, the Open Internet rule, was adopted by the
FCC in December 2010 and will go into effect on November 20, 2011. Simply put, this rule
creates common-sense obligations and requirements for broadband internet service providers,
like telephone and cable networks, in order to keep the Internet free and open. I believe
that the Open Internet rule will provide the certainty needed to foster job-creating investments
and innovations while protecting broadband Internet consumers.
Why is this important? Net neutrality
and the Open Internet rule represent the fundamental issue of free and open expression on the Internet.
This year, we all watched as democratic uprisings toppled totalitarian regimes in the Middle
East. Social networks like Twitter and technologies like text messaging are largely thought to
have facilitated the so-called “Arab Spring.” But none of it would have been possible without
an open and free Internet. What kind of message would we be sending to the remaining dictators
who are facing uprisings by their citizens if the United States Senate votes to limit
Americans’ free access to the Internet? We must set an example for the world. The
Internet must remain free and open. The Open Internet rule will achieve this by
ensuring that four key Internet policies are maintained. It will prevent broadband Internet
providers from blocking lawful Internet content or services, require transparency about broadband
network management policies, ensure a level playing field for consumers on the Internet,
and provide predictability for both broadband providers and Internet innovators.
But most importantly in these economic times, net neutrality is also about jobs and economic
development. As I’ve travelled the state of Colorado, the most frequent refrain I hear
from businesses is that they need predictability in order to invest in their companies and
create good-paying American jobs. The thousands of entrepreneurs that have built small Internet
businesses can only be successful if they are able to reach their customers. However,
unless this Net Neutrality rule is preserved and content blocking is prevented, there won’t
be any guarantees that the next great online innovation or pioneering Application will
even be able to access the network. For example, the next Google, Amazon or Twitter will only
be able to grow and be successful if they can reach their customers without having to
worry about interference from broadband providers that might want to preference another, more
established competitor. The FCC’s common-sense rule will provide predictability for both
the broadband providers and the Internet innovators. The certainty of knowing the rules that broadband
providers have to follow will give the confidence needed for investors to help the next Groupon
break through. Innovation and job creation is what will finally
lift our economy out of the slump that we have been desperately trying to recover from.
We need Net Neutrality to ensure that innovation thrives and that the next great product, service
or way of doing business is not inhibited by market manipulations or restrictive online
policies. Mr. President, I want to urge my colleagues
to vote against this resolution. It only serves to distract us from the hard work we have
to foster job growth and get our economy back on track. Let’s agree to cement fair and
reasonable rules of the road – as the FCC rule seeks to achieve – in order to provide
certainty and a climate of innovation for the next generation of job creators.