Bob Latta: “I appreciate my colleague, the gentlewoman's concern for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and the possible impact of…”

“I appreciate my colleague, the gentlewoman's concern for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups and the possible impact of the 2015 Open Internet Order on their ability to get connected online and have access to all the economic and social opportunities the internet has made possible. These are all very important questions to consider, and so I will not oppose this amendment. However, I hope my colleagues will consider just as much the possibility that throwing the internet into title II and all of the heavy-handed government regulation that it represents may not be the best way to address the concerns of these populations. We completely agree with the transformative impact of the internet on minorities, rural populations, individuals with disabilities, the elderly, and the socioeconomically disadvantaged. In many ways, the internet is even more important to these populations than to anyone else. So what would really help to bridge the digital divide and get more of these folks connected? I would argue what is most critical in this problem we are all trying to solve is, number one, to encourage investment. But you have heard me say it before, and I will say it again: Title II is a devastating investment killer. We saw those numbers take a dip after the FCC diverged from the longstanding bipartisan path of light- touch regulation into the 1930s era monopoly regulation of title II.…”