Senate Votes to Protect Net Neutrality, Cantwell Calls for House to Take Action

Statement

CANTWELL: Thank you. It's great to be with here with Leader Pelosi and Leader Schumer, and my colleagues from the House of Representatives.

The Senate, in bipartisan fashion today, took the first step forward in preserving the strong internet economy that is seven percent of our GDP, but thirteen percent of the Northwest economy. So I'm pretty sure I heard a pretty loud cheer go up in Seattle.

We're doing that because we want to protect what are those strong economies from the artificial slowing down of the internet. But I'm pretty sure our House colleagues are going to side with big cable companies who are hoping that the public did not notice that the Trump-era FCC rolled back strong internet protections. That is why we need the House to take action, to protect the consumers and businesses that will be affected by all of this, and to protect that strong innovation economy.

I know people think that highest pricing, or pricing at the highest bidder, well it might work at Christie's if you're having an art auction, but it certainly doesn't work when you are trying to cover a network of internet service and you want essential service for hospitals and educators and small businesses. That's why we want the House to act -- to protect the American economy.

I will also note, while some people want to know how this bill is going to move forward, there are people within the administration -- Earl Comstock -- who is also saying that he would like to see the Trump Administration get behind this. So would I.

Thank you, and now I turn it over to my dear colleague, who also fights for the strong internet economy that we so care about on the Northwest and in California, Representative Anna Eshoo.

Source