On the recordFebruary 17, 2011
I rise in opposition to the proposal. This amendment is bad policy. It would overturn a decision by the FCC enacted last December that would protect the Internet from those who might interfere with the ability of consumers to access whatever they want. The most vibrant sector of our economy today is our Internet economy. U.S. companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon and E-Bay are leading the world in innovation; and they all urge the FCC to protect and open the Internet because commonsense baseline rules are critical to ensuring that the Internet remains a key engine of economic growth, innovation and global competitiveness. Contrary to the hyperventilated rhetoric from the majority, the FCC rules do not regulate the Internet. They do not grant the government the power to turn off the Internet. Their goal is just the opposite. They prevent Internet gatekeepers, like Verizon, from deciding what content their subscribers can access. But the FCC rules were a very light touch regulation, and it is notable that AT&T, Comcast and Time Warner, three of the Nation's largest network operators, support these rules.
