TODAY I AM HERE IN OPPOSITION TO THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION ON MONDAY TO REPEAL THE NET NEUTRALITY PROTECTIONS. NET NEUTRALITY IS A BEDROCK OF A VAST AND BAYER AND OPEN -- BARE OPEN INTERNET. IT HOLDS THE INTERNET -- INNOVATION AND COMPETITION. THESE PROTECTIONS HAVE WORKED AND ARE PART OF THE REASON THE INTERNET HAS BECOME ONE OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SUCCESS STORIES, TRANSFORMING NOT ONLY HOW WE COMMUNICATE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY, BUT ALSO THE WAY COMPANIES DO BUSINESS, HOW CONSUMERS BUY GOODS, AND HOW WE EDUCATE OUR KIDS. BUT EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE F.C.C. APPROVED CHAIRMAN PAI'S PLAN TO ELIMINATE NET NEUTRALITY RULES. YESTERDAY THE FINAL ROLLBACK OF NET NEUTRALITY WENT THROUGH. THE F.C.C. HAS NOW GIVEN MAJOR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS THE ABILITY TO SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE CONSUMERS' EXPERIENCES ONLINE. BIG INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO BLOCK, TO LOW SLOW, AND PRIORITIZE WEB TRAFFIC FOR THEIR OWN FINANCIAL GAIN. THIS MEANS THEY CAN SORT ONLINE TRAFFIC INTO PAST OR -- FAST OR SLOW LANES AND CHARGE CONSUMERS EXTRA FOR HIGH-SPEED INTERNET. AND INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS CAN EVEN BLOCK CONTENT THEY DON'T WANT THEIR SUBSCRIBERS TO ACCESS. THE ONLY PROTECTIONS MAINTAINED ARE REQUIREMENTS FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS TO DISCLOSE THEIR INTERNET TRAFFIC POLICIES. A LOT OF GOOD THAT WILL DO LIKE IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA YOU HAVE SIGNIFICANT RURAL AREAS WHERE THERE IS NO REAL OPPORTUNITY TO COMPARISON SHOP OR FIND A NEW PROVIDER. HOW WILL DISCLOSING HELP IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE PROVIDER TO GO TO? THEY HAVE A VIRTUAL MONOPOLY OVER YOUR SERVICE. MORE THAN 24 MILLION AMERICANS STILL LACK HIGH SPEED BROADBAND. WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING OUR EFFORTS ON HELPING THOSE HOUSEHOLDS GET CONNECTED, NOT ELIMINATING NET NEUTRALITY AND WORSENING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. YOU CAN ALWAYS PAY FOR HIGH-SPEED ACCESS. YOU COULD PAY FOR IT NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE. YOU COULD RUN LINES FOR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO YOUR HOUSE IF YOU'RE IN A REMOTE AREA. BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. NO. THEY'VE SEEN IT AS A VIRTUE, AS PART OF OUR DEMOCRACY THAT EVERY ONE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET AND IT'S PART OF WHAT MAKES AN ECONOMY WORK, THAT YOU DON'T LEAVE PEOPLE BEHIND IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO AFFORD RUNNING A LINE ALL THE WAY TO THEIR HOMES BY THEMSELVES BUT THIS ISN'T ONLY ABOUT INDIVIDUAL INTERNET USERS. IT WILL LIMIT COMPETITION AND IT WILL HURT SMALL BUSINESS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND INNOVATION, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT THE HEART OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY. WITHOUT UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, ENTREPRENEURS MAY BE FORCED TO PAY FOR EQUAL FOOTING TO COMPETE ONLINE RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON GROWING THEIR BUSINESSES. WHEN YOU TALK TO SMALL COMPANIES, TO SOME OF THE START-UPS WE'VE SEEN OUT THERE, SOME OF THE COMPANIES THAT YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE STARTED AND YOU ASK THEM, WELL, HOW DO YOU BREAK INTO A MARKET WHEN YOU'VE GOT A BIG GUY OUT THERE THAT HAS MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN A MULTINATIONAL -- AND A MULTINATIONAL PRESENCE, HOW DO YOU BREAK INTO IT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO SELL BABY CLOTHES OR IF YOU'RE TRYING TO HAVE A NEW DIGITAL SERVICE? THEY TELL YOU THIS. THEY TELL YOU IT'S ONLINE. THEY BREAK IN BECAUSE THEY CAN COMPETE AND THEY CAN GET TO CUSTOMERS ONLINE. WELL, GUESS WHAT? IF THEY START HAVING TO PAY HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO GET THAT ACCESS ONLINE TO COMPETE WITH THE BIG COMPANIES THAT OF COURSE CAN ALREADY -- CAN ALREADY PAY FOR THAT AND CAN ALREADY AFFORD THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM AND YOU'RE GOING TO DEFEAT THE VERY IDEA OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP. SMALL BUSINESSES UNABLE TO PAY FOR ACCESS TO FAST INTERNET SERVICE MAY SOON FIND THEMSELVES STRUGGLING TO COMPETE ON THE SLOW LANE. REPEALING NET NEUTRALITY WILL HURT THE VERY PEOPLE CREATING JOBS AND KEEPING OUR ECONOMY COMPETITIVE. THAT'S WHY I JOIN MY COLLEAGUES TO FORCE A VOTE LAST MONTH ON SENATOR MARKEY'S BILL TO REPEAL CHAIRMAN PAI'S PLAN AND REINSIGHT NET NEUTRALITY RULES. THIS BILL RECEIVED BIPARTISAN SUPPORT AND WAS PASSED BY THE SENATE IN THIS VERY ROOM. NOW IT'S UP TO THE HOUSE TO DO THE SAME. THE INTERNET SHOULD REMAIN FREE AND OPEN FOR ALL WHO USE IT AND FIGHT TO SAVE NET NEUTRALITY. WELL, THAT FIGHT IS FAR FROM OVER. I HAVE JOINED SENATE DEMOCRATS IN URGING SPEAKER RYAN TO IMMEDIATELY SCHEDULE A VOTE ON THE BILL TO SAVE NET NEUTRALITY PROTECTIONS. THEY CAN DO THIS. SO TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON, IT WILL TAKE ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER. PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS, BUSINESS, SMALL BUSINESS, NONPROFIT ADVOCATES TO TELL OUR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVEL LET'S TAKE THAT VOTE, THAT GOOD VOTE IN THE SENATE AS A SIGNING THAT IT'S -- AS A SIGN THAT IT'S TIME TO CHANGE THE POLICY. AND THE WAY YOU DO THAT, OF COURSE, IS WITH A VOTE OVER AT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. AT LEAST ALLOW A VOTE. THE FIGHT TO PROTECT NET NEUTRALITY IS FAR FROM OVER AND WE NEED TO MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD FOR ALL OF THE AMERICAN CONSUMERS, ENTREPRENEURS, AND INNOVATORS THAT RELY ON A FREE AND OPEN INTERNET. MR. PRESIDENT, I YIELD THE FLOOR.