What Capitol Hill is saying about restore internet freedom proposal

• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a statement commending Chairman Pai:

“for taking bold action . . . to turn back this portion of the Obama Administration’s eight-year regulatory assault on all aspects of our economy.”

• Speaker of the House Paul Ryan praised the effort to restore Internet freedom:

“Chairman Pai’s announcement that the FCC will roll back these regulations is welcome news. Congress is committed to working with the Trump administration to enact policies that protect consumers and ensure Americans have access to a free and open internet.”

• Bicameral statement from Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman John Thune; Senate Communications, Technology, and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman Roger Wicker; House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden; and House Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn:

“We have long said that imposing a Depression-era, utility-style regulatory structure onto the internet was the wrong approach, and we applaud Chairman Pai’s efforts to roll back these misguided regulations. Consumers want an open internet that doesn’t discriminate on content and protects free speech and consumer privacy.”

• Senator Ted Cruz, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, applauded Chairman Pai’s leadership:

“Today, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai took a significant step toward restoring the internet to a light-touch regulatory framework that protects open internet principles, and also recognizes the transformative effect that the internet has had on our lives, generating billions of dollars of new economic activity and millions of jobs, largely free of government’s heavy hand.”

• Senator Mike Lee, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, commended the FCC announcement:

“Permissionless innovation, free of Washington bureaucrat interference, has been the cornerstone of the Internet’s vitality and growth. President Obama’s net neutrality scheme is a threat to Internet innovation and I commend Chairman Pai for taking this first step to removing the regulatory threat.”

• Senator Ron Johnson, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, was encouraged to see a rollback of heavy-handed regulations:

“Today, the FCC is taking an important step to roll back harmful Obama-era regulations that stifle innovation and delay broadband deployment in Wisconsin and throughout America. I believe the Internet will remain free and open without heavy-handed regulations—as it did under the Clinton and Bush administrations.”

• Representative Tom Graves, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations’ Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, praised Chairman Pai’s plan, explaining:

“Simply put, they’re regulations in search of a problem. I commend Chairman Pai for taking swift action to repeal this Obama administration mess before more damage is done. I urge each FCC commissioner to support Chairman Pai’s effort.”

• Representative Bob Latta, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection, issued this statement on the mistake of Title II:

“The action by the previous FCC to impose a heavy-handed regulatory framework on the Internet was a misguided decision from the start. It’s critical we maintain an open Internet that doesn’t harm investment and innovation, and where consumers are protected. With that in mind, I commend Chairman Pai’s efforts to undo the Title II reclassification. Now is the time for all stakeholders to come to the table to find legislative common ground, and provide certainty for consumers, providers, and businesses that rely on the Internet.”  

• Representative Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, tweeted:

“I support an open Internet, and I applaud the FCC’s decision to roll back antiquated regulations that threaten job creation & competition.”

• Senator Roy Blunt, Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, commended the FCC for beginning to roll back misguided Internet regulations:

“For decades, the internet flourished under a bipartisan, light-touch regulatory approach, creating millions of jobs and generating nearly $1 trillion in economic investment. I’m encouraged to see the FCC, under the chairmanship of Ajit Pai, signal a return to that approach.”

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