Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) defended a free and open internet Thursday in a speech on the House floor, as she spoke out against former Verizon counsel FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s plans to reverse net neutrality rules and end open and free Internet.
“The FCC’s new Chairman, who used to work as counsel for Verizon, wants to turn the internet into a system of pay-to-play fast lanes for big money and those who can afford it, leaving everyone else behind in the slow lane.”
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“Yesterday, the new Trump-appointed FCC Chair announced his mission to undermine the net neutrality rules we fought so hard to put in place. In 2015, over 4 million people submitted comments, calling on the FCC to keep the internet open and fair.
“However, the FCC’s new Chairman, who used to work as counsel for Verizon, wants to turn the internet into a system of pay-to-play fast lanes for big money and those who can afford it, leaving everyone else behind in the slow lane,” the Democratic Representative argued on the House floor.
“This hands the levers of access over to big ISPs at the expense of students, small businesses, entrepreneurs, independent content creators, and millions more.”
Gabbard made the argument that an open and equal internet is essential, “In today’s digital age, maintaining open and equal internet access is essential to breaking down barriers in education, media, expanding access to jobs and employment, driving innovation in healthcare, and so much more.”
“We must stand strong in opposition to the FCC’s attack on fairness, equality, and net neutrality,” Gabbard concluded.
Gabbard has cosponsored legislation in the past like H.R. 196, the Online Competition and Consumer Choice Act of 2015.
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) vowed to fight the Chairman’s proposal to destroy the Internet on Wednesday. Franken said in part, “Let me be very clear: getting rid of net neutrality would destroy the internet as we know it. I plan to fight Chairman Pai’s proposal—and the big cable and internet companies who are the real muscle behind this attack—every step of the way, because consumers, small businesses, and all Americans deserve an open internet.”
Net neutrality says that your internet connection treats all websites and services the same. However, big corporations like Comcast, Verizon and Time Warner Cable want to be able to charge you more and discriminate so that the internet is no longer sparks competition and isn’t a forum for free speech and innovation.
“It is historically important that the Internet enhances freedom for all rather than profit for a few,” INC reported Ed Black saying when then President Obama was fighting to protect the internet. Black is the president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which “promotes open markets, open systems, open networks and full, fair and open competition in the computer, telecommunications and Internet industries.”
Internet Service Providers have argued that they wouldn’t have any incentive to continue innovation and investing in projects if President Obama had the FCC pass net neutrality, but he did in 2015 and they haven’t stopped. They claim that net neutrality is government “regulation”; that is to say, big corporations can’t do whatever they want.
Republicans are against a free internet that promotes competition, freedom and accountability because of their Big Corporation Priorities. While arguments can be made to privatize some parts of public life, others must remain free for all citizens. The internet is one such vital avenue to independence.
Corporations already own our government, thanks in part to Republicans Citizens United fight. They don’t need more control over information.
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