Save the Internet Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Ms. MATSUI. Madam Chair, I am pleased to join my colleagues in cosponsoring this legislation.

Our internet economy has been the envy of the world, with good reason. The first site to ever go live on the world wide web did so in August 1991, less than 28 years ago.

Since then, a balance of innovation and investment has transformed the internet into a driving force of the American economy, and that balance of innovation and investment also requires that the internet remain open.

Innovators, entrepreneurs, businesses, and consumers rely on the internet as an open platform for online commerce, to freely exchange ideas, and to make internet access more accessible to more Americans.

To that end, addressing and preventing paid prioritization arrangements that result in consumer harm has been a priority of mine for years; and, as I have said through this debate, the fundamental issue surrounding net neutrality is ensuring consumers don't have to pay more for the same products and services online.

I am mindful of the potential use cases that next-generation networks can facilitate, and I previously introduced legislation to ensure that all consumers are able to access online content equally as we balance the service requirements and consumer benefits of our open internet policies.

I also want to be clear that I don't support taxing the internet, but, going forward, I welcome a serious conversation with all my colleagues on universal service contribution reform in order to protect the long-term sustainability of rural broadband support.

Net neutrality protections must ensure the internet remains an open marketplace, ensure that the internet is free of content-based discrimination, and ensure broadband access is affordably and reliably deployed across the country.

Passage of this legislation is an important step toward these goals, and I am proud to support it.

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