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THE PRESIDING OFFICER: 60
MINUTES.
MRS. HUTCHISON: 60?
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: 60
MINUTES, YES.
MRS. HUTCHISON: THANK YOU,
MR. PRESIDENT.
I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A TIME
WHEN THE FLOOR WAS OPEN TO
REFUTE SOME OF THE COMMENTS AND
CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RACED
EARLIER ON THE FLOOR -- THAT
HAVE BEEN RAISED EARLIER ON THE
FLOOR.
I WANT TO START BY TAKING ON A
COMMENT THAT WAS MADE BY THE
SENATOR FROM MINNESOTA.
SENATOR FRANKEN SAID THAT
YOUTUBE STARTED ABOVE A PIECE PA
IN 2005 AND SOLD FOR
$1.6 BILLION TWO YEARS LATER TO
GOOGLE AND THAT WOULDN'T HAVE
BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT NET
NEUTRALITY.
WELL, MR. PRESIDENT, WE MUST
POINT OUT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE
NET NEUTRALITY IN 2005.
WE HAVEN'T HAD FEDERAL
REGULATION OF THE INTERNET IN
THIS COUNTRY SUCH AS WE HAVE
SEEN LAST YEAR PUT FORWARD BY
THIS ADMINISTRATION.
IN FACT, YOUTUBE, GOOGLE WERE
BOTH CREATED IN A MARKETPLACE
WITHOUT NET NEUTRALITY
REGULATIONS.
OTHER ON-LINE SUCCESSES --
FACEBOOK, HULU, TWITTER -- AS
NEW DEVICES LIKE THE APPLE
IPHONE AND AMAZON KINDLE, ALL OF
WHICH HAPPENED WITHOUT NET
NEUTRALITY REGULATIONS.
THESE ARE INNOVATIONS THAT HAVE
CHANGED COMMUNITY --
COMMUNICATION PATTERNS IN OUR
WORLD AS WELL AS IN OUR COUNTRY.
SO WE HAVE HAD THESE INNOVATIONS
WITHOUT THE HEAVY HAND OF
GOVERNMENT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY INTERESTING
TO HEAR THE DEBATE ON THE FLOOR
BECAUSE WE -- WE SEEM TO HEAR
THAT NET NEUTRALITY IS SOMETHING
THAT WILL KEEP THE INTERNET
OPEN.
THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE.
IT IS BEGINNING TO PUT THE
CLAMPS ON THE SUCCESS THAT WE
HAVE HAD BY HAVING AN OPEN
INTERNET.
AND ALL THESE COMPANIES THAT
THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT NEEDING
NET NEUTRALITY TO COME FORWARD
AND BLOSSOM AND GROW ARE THE
COMPANIES THAT HAVE DONE EXACTLY
THAT WITHOUT NET NEUTRALITY
REGULATIONS.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS ASSURE
THAT WE DON'T PUT A BLANKET OVER
THE INTERNET AND START SAYING TO
EVERYBODY WHO HAS A NEW IDEA, A
NEW PRODUCT, A NEW SERVICE
PROVIDER, YOU BETTER GO TO THE
F.C.C. BEFORE YOU GO FORWARD
WITH THAT OR YOU COULD BE IN
JEOPARDY.
YOU COULD BE PENALIZED.
YOU COULD BE THOUGHT TO HAVE AN
UNREASONABLE PRODUCT ON THE
INTERNET BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW
YET WHAT REASONABLE IS.
WE JUST KNOW YOU HAVE TO BE
REASONABLE BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE A
NEW REGULATION THAT SAYS YOU
MUST BE REASONABLE BUT NO
DEFINITION OF WHAT THIS F.C.C.,
WHICH HAD NO AUTHORITY TO GO
INTO THIS AREA, IS GOING TO
DETERMINE IS A REASONABLE
PRODUCT THAT WON'T INTERFERE
WITH ANYTHING ELSE.
MR. PRESIDENT, WE HAVEN'T HAD
NET NEUTRALITY BEFORE.
ALL THE SUCCESSES THAT I HEAR
TALKED ABOUT IN THIS DEBATE HAVE
HAPPENED WITHOUT THE HEAVY OR
LIGHT HAND OF GOVERNMENT
STOPPING THE ORIGINALITY AND
INNOVATION THAT HAS MARKED THE
SUCCESS OF OUR COUNTRY.