McConnell on Net Neutrality: Chicken Little, Chapter Two

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding net neutrality:

"Six years ago, the junior Senator for Massachusetts warned that, 'There will be a political price to pay for those on the wrong side of history' in the Republican effort to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules.

"Then-Senator Harris warned that the end of net neutrality would, 'imperil our economy while reducing innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity.'

"Senate Democrats claimed such a repeal would mean that, 'you'll get the internet one word at a time.'

"In the assessment of one left-wing House member, it was, 'a threat to our democracy.'

"Others said the result would be, 'the end of the internet as we know it.'

"Well, the last time I checked, the internet is still there, and it's working just fine. I'm still receiving emails without issue.

"In fact, the year net neutrality was repealed, internet speeds increased nearly 40%. …So much for imperiling the economy and stifling innovation as more and more Americans do business online.

"But Washington Democrats have yet to learn from their mistakes. Apparently, they just can't help trying to tie up every corner of our economy with more red tape. Last week, President Biden's FCC voted to reinstate the Obama era rule to reclassify broadband from an information service to a public utility.

"Effectively, this would mean a return to the outdated Obama era policy.

"It would enable Washington to impose new taxes, regulations, and tariffs on broadband providers, and drown innovation in even more red tape. More government control of a core means of communication.

"Of course, when Congress passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, we made it crystal clear that that the internet is an information service, and not a public utility. The law never gave the FCC authority to reclassify it as such.

"Well, that didn't stop Obama Administration regulators from trying. But back in 2016, I was happy to cosponsor legislation that would reverse their misguided net neutrality regulations. And in 2017, I commended FCC Chairman Pai for reversing these regulations and allowing the internet to flourish.

"Chairman Pai's approach was in keeping with the longtime bipartisan consensus of a light regulatory touch. This is the approach that allowed for the rapid growth of the internet and the adoption of groundbreaking technologies it drove.

"And I'm proud to join several of our Republican colleagues in urging the FCC to preserve this approach and turn back this egregious misstep from the Biden Administration."

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