Louie Gohmert: “I appreciate my friend from North Carolina's words. Today, we voted on a bill referred to as net neutrality. It is a…”

“I appreciate my friend from North Carolina's words. Today, we voted on a bill referred to as net neutrality. It is a position that was taken up by the Federal Communications Commission back during the Obama administration. It was quite interesting. During the Obama administration, President Obama had said he would not allow the FCC to take over control of the internet, and then apparently was convinced otherwise and eventually made clear to the FCC they would take over control of the internet. I know the bill is referred to as net neutrality, but it is anything but neutral. It is government control of the internet. And, yes, I realize that the internet has produced some billionaires who are tremendous contributors to the Democratic Party, but, to me and to my colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle, it is more an issue of independence of this incredible invention of the internet. If it creates more billionaires that happen to become Democrats, so be it. But let's leave the internet free. Net neutrality does not leave it free. It is government controlled. And that is what the new chairman, Chairman Pai, undid. He said: We are backing off. This is an executive position taken by the executive branch during the Obama administration and we are now, as an executive branch, taking our hands off of the internet so that people are free to become billionaires, but we are not going to pick and choose winners, which means the government chooses losers, as well.…”