Ed Markey: “I thank all of my colleagues, led by Senator Cantwell, for joining me on the floor this afternoon. We are speaking on…”

“I thank all of my colleagues, led by Senator Cantwell, for joining me on the floor this afternoon. We are speaking on behalf of millions of our constituents and of the tens of millions of Americans who support a free and open internet. I am proud to come to the floor to discuss an issue of national importance to both our economy and our democracy--net neutrality. Now, a lot of people have recently stopped and asked me: What exactly is net neutrality? The technical answer is that network neutrality, or net neutrality, is the principle that internet service providers--you know their names: Verizon, AT&T, Charter, Comcast--cannot discriminate against content providers, against websites. They are the people to whom you pay by check each month and who make sure that you have broadband service. You know who they are. The simpler explanation is this: No one owns the internet. Everyone can use the internet. Anyone can improve the internet. Yet that will not be the case if the Trump administration and Ajit Pai, the Chairman, and Republicans have their way. They want to get rid of the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules so that the ISPs, the internet service providers, can indiscriminately charge more for internet fast lanes, slow down websites, block websites, make it harder--and, maybe, even impossible--for inventors, entrepreneurs, and small businesses--the lifeblood of the American economy--to connect to the internet.…”