Jim Sensenbrenner: “Unless the Congress acts affirmatively by the end of next week, the Obama administration will turn over the core…”

“Unless the Congress acts affirmatively by the end of next week, the Obama administration will turn over the core functions of the Internet to an international body. We cannot allow this to happen. Look at the consequences. Using domain names, we have control over the protection of free speech on the Internet. One of the real positive things of the development of this type of technology over the last 45 or 50 years has been that people have been able to express themselves the way they want to on the Internet and be able to get a huge worldwide audience. Now, I recognize that there is no truth meter on the Internet, but people who make ridiculous statements on the Internet end up getting denigrated in the court of public opinion anyhow. Free speech is at stake here, but also the national security of our country is at stake. The core functions of the Internet, including control over domain names, should not be turned over to countries that do not have America's best interests or values at heart, like China or Russia or Iran. They have no protections for free speech, they have no value for free speech, and they will do what they want to to put censorship on the Internet, particularly as a way of controlling their own population within their country. If we don't act, that is going to be something that happens, and I think we can guarantee it.…”