MR. PRESIDENT, I'M HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY TO JOIN SENATOR MARKEY TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF STRONG INTERNET NEUTRALITY PROTECTIONS. HE ALSO CAME TO MINNESOTA THIS PAST MONTH AND WAS ABLE TO MEET WITH A NUMBER OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, INCLUDING A WOMAN THAT STARTED A BUSINESS MAKING CHILDREN'S CLOTHES, AND THE GROWTH SHE SAW BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET. PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY IF WE DIDN'T HAVE NET NEUTRALITY. TODAY WE TOOK A MAJOR STEP FORWARD ON THIS ISSUE BY FORCING THE SENATE TO HOLD A VOTE ON LEGISLATION TO SAVE NET NEUTRALITY. I BELIEVE IN THE END WE WILL HAVE THE VOTES TO GET THIS DONE. IT WILL SEND AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE THAT THE INTERNET SHOULD REMAIN FREE, OPEN, AND EQUAL TO ALL WHO USE IT. IT WILL THEN BE CONSIDERED, WE WOULD HOPE, BY THE HOUSE BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS TO ACTUALLY GET THIS DONE. WHY? BECAUSE NET NEUTRALITY IS THE BEDROCK OF A FAIR, FAST, OPEN, AND GLOBAL INTERNET. IT HOLDS INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR PROVIDING THE INTERNET ACCESS CONSUMERS EXPECT WHILE PROTECTING INNOVATION AND COMPETITION. IT'S ALSO ONE REASON THE INTERNET HAS BECOME ONE OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SUCCESS STORIES, TRANSFORMING NOT ONLY HOW WE KPHAOEBGT -- COMMUNICATE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS, BUT ALSO HOW CONSUMERS BUY GOODS, HOW WE EDUCATE OUR KIDS. IT'S AN EQUALIZING FORCE BECAUSE IT MEANS KIDS ON TRIBAL LANDS IN MINNESOTA ORCHIDS THAT ARE IN EXTREME RURAL AREAS ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE SAME CLASSES AS PEOPLE IN URBAN AREAS. IT MEANS THAT A SMALL BUSINESS IN ADA, MINNESOTA, IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO SELL THEIR GOODS ON THE INTERNET JUST LIKE ONE OF OUR BIG COMPANIES IN THE TWIN CITIES, LIKE TARGET OR BEST BUY. IT IS AN EQUALIZING FORCE. EARLIER THIS YEAR THE F.C.C. APPROVED CHAIRMAN PAI'S PLAN, UNFORTUNATELY, TO ELIMINATE NET NEUTRALITY PROTECTIONS DESPITE THE MILLIONS OF COMMENTS FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKING THE F.C.C. TO PROTECT A FAIR AND OPEN INTERNET, NOT TO MENTION A HALF MILLION COMMENTS FROM RUSSIAN E-MAILS, THE F.C.C. VOTED IN DECEMBER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CHAIRMAN PAI'S PLAN TO END NET NEUTRALITY. UNDER CHAIRMAN PAI'S PLAN, THE F.C.C. GIVES MAJOR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS THE ABILITY TO SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE CONSUMERS' EXPERIENCE ONLINE. BIG INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS MAY SOON BE ABLE TO BLOCK SLOW AND PRIORITIZE WEB TRAFFIC FOR THEIR OWN FINANCIAL GAIN. THEY COULD BEGIN SORTING ONLINE TRAFFIC INTO FAST OR SLOW LANES AND CHARGING CONSUMERS EXTRA FOR HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND. AND INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS COULD EVEN BLOCK CONTENT THEY DON'T WANT THEIR SUBSCRIBERS TO ACCESS BECAUSE THEY WOULD PREFER OTHER CONTENT THAT MIGHT BENEFIT THEM FINANCIALLY. THE ONLY PROTECTIONS MAINTAINED UNDER THE PROPOSED ORDER ARE REQUIREMENTS FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS TO DISCLOSE THEIR INTERNET TRAFFIC POLICIES. BUT FOR CONSUMERS WITH ONLY ONE CHOICE FOR INTERNET SERVICE, LIKE SO MANY IN MY RURAL AREAS IN MINNESOTA, THERE IS NO REAL OPPORTUNITY TO COMPARISON SHOP OR FIND A NEW PROVIDER IF THEY ARE UNHAPPY, SO THAT PROVISION IS OF LITTLE HELP. THIS MEANS EVEN THOUGH CONSUMERS MAY BE AWARE THAT THEIR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS IS BLOCKING OR SLOWING THEIR CONNECTION, THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE. ACCORDING TO THE F.C.C., MORE THAN 25 -- 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. BUT THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT INDIVIDUAL INTERNET USERS. IT WILL LIMIT COMPETITION, AND THAT IS WHY IT IS ALSO ABOUT SMALL BUSINESSES. A TRULY OPEN INTERNET ENCOURAGES ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESSES TO REACH NEW MARKETS, DRIVE INSRAEUFGS AND CREATES -- -- INNOVATION AND CREATES JOBS. ONE COMPANY I TOURED IN ADA, THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE, A WOMAN STARTED THIS BUSINESS AT HER KITCHEN TABLE. SHE HAS SUCH BAD INTERNET ACCESS IN ADA THAT SHE HAS TO HAVE HER TWO-PERSON SALES FORCE LOCATED IN FARGO. AND THAT IS A LONG WAY AWAY. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT HER WHOLE BUSINESS MODEL, IT IS ABOUT MARKETING ON THE INTERNET. SHE HAS TAKEN THAT BUSINESS FROM THE KITCHEN TABLE TO ONE THAT HAS 20 EMPLOYEES THAT IS SHIPPING HER PRODUCTS -- THAT WOULD BE CHAIN JEWELRY -- ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. WELL, WITHOUT UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, ENTREPRENEURS MAY BE FORCED TO PAY FOR EQUAL FOOTING TO COMPETE ONLINE. IF IT ISN'T BAD ENOUGH NOT TO HAVE ACCESS WHERE HER BUSINESS IS AND HAVE EMPLOYEES OFF CAMPUS WAY OVER IN ANOTHER STATE, NOW IF YOU GET RID OF NET NEUTRALITY SHE WON'T BE ABLE TO HAVE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD AT ALL. SHE WILL BE IN THE SLOW LANE. THIS WILL HURT THE VERY PEOPLE CREATING JOBS AND KEEPING OUR ECONOMY COMPETITIVE. THAT'S WHY I JOINED MY COLLEAGUES TO PUSH A VOTE ON SENATOR MARKEY'S BILL TO OPPOSE COMMISSIONER PAI'S PLAN. WE HAVE TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON BECAUSE THE VOTE WILL HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE FUTURE OF THE INTERNET. THIS IS PART OF A LARGER TREND TO HELP LARGE COMPANIES TO PUSH OUT THEIR COMPETITION, CONSOLIDATION, THE FIGHT TO PROTECT NET NEUTRALITY IS FAR FROM OVER AND WE NEED TO MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD. I ALSO, MR. PRESIDENT, GOING TO VERY BRIEFLY, A MINUTE OR TWO EACH, COMMENT ON TWO ISSUES BEFORE OUR COUNTRY AND BEFORE THE SENATE. THE FIRST IS THAT I RISE TODAY TO JOIN MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE COME TO THE FLOOR TO SPEAK ABOUT OUR COUNTRY'S THIRD BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT, OUR COURTS, AS WELL AS TO EXPRESS MY OPPOSITION TO THE NOMINATION OF MICHAEL BRENNAN TO THE SEVENTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS. AS A MEMBER OF THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT THE SENATE HAS DECIDED TO ABANDON THE BLUE SLIP TRADITION FOR CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES. THE BLUE SLIP POLICY HELD THROUGH THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRETY OF THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, INCLUDING WHEN REPUBLICANS WERE IN THE SENATE AND WHEN DEMOCRATS WERE IN THE SENATE. THIS IS FOR GOOD REASON. THE BLUE SLIP IS A KEY CHECK AND BALANCE AND IT IS IN VIEW THAT IT HAS PROMOTED COOPERATION AS WELL AS RESULTED IN BETTER DECISION MAKING FOR JUDGES ACROSS PARTY LINES. SENATORS HAVE A SOLEMN OBLIGATION TO ADVISE AND CONSENT ON THE PRESIDENT'S NOMINEES TO THE FEDERAL COURTS AND I TAKE THAT OBLIGATION VERY SERIOUSLY. I KNOW THAT MY COLLEAGUE, SENATOR BALDWIN, ALSO TAKES THAT RESPONSIBILITY VERY SERIOUSLY, AND THAT IS WHY SHE HAD A BIPARTISAN PROCESS IN PLACE THROUGH WHICH SHE WORKED WITH SENATOR JOHNSON IN AN EFFORT TO PRODUCE CONSENSUS NOMINEES. THIS NOMINEE DID NOT GAIN SUFFICIENT SUPPORT FROM THE WISCONSIN JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS COMMISSION SO IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING HIS NOMINATION ON THE SENATE FLOOR. SECONDLY, I ALSO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO DISCUSS THE IRAN AGREEMENT AND THE PRESIDENT'S DECISION. YESTERDAY THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL UNILATERALLY WITHDRAW FROM THE JCPOA, COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE IRAN AGREEMENT. IN 2015, I SUPPORTED THE IRAN AGREEMENT, ALTHOUGH I MAY HAVE NEGOTIATED DIFFERENTLY, BUT WE HAD THE AGREEMENT BEFORE US, AND I SUPPORTED IT BECAUSE I BELIEVED IT WAS THE BEST AVAILABLE OPTION FOR PUTTING THE BRAKES ON A NUCLEAR WEAPON FOR IRAN. I STILL BELIEVE THAT TODAY. WE CANNOT ALLOW IRAN TO OBTAIN A NUCLEAR WEAPON, AND AS WE HAD THIS CRITICAL INTO NEGOTIATIONS OF NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS, WE CANNOT BE BACKING AWAY FROM INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AND NUCLEAR INSPECTIONS. PREVENTING IRAN FROM OBTAINING A NUCLEAR WEAPON IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OBJECTIVES OF OUR NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY. I STRONGLY ADVOCATED FOR AND SUPPORTED THE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS THAT BROUGHT IRAN TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE AND THE SUBSEQUENT SANCTIONS PASSED LAST YEAR TO ADDRESS IRAN'S DESTABILIZING ACTIVITIES AND PROMOTION OF TERRORISM. UNILATERAL WITHDRAWAL FROM THE AGREEMENT HAS RESULTED IN A SPLINTERED INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR EUROPEAN ALLIES THAT HAS BEEN CRITICAL TO PREVENTING IRAN FROM OBTAINING A NUCLEAR WEAPON. WE SHOULD INSTEAD BE NEGOTIATING A MORE COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT THAT INCLUDES IRAN'S NUCLEAR AMBITIONS TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE. BALLISTIC MISSILE TESTS AND DESTABILIZING ACTIVITIES THAT POSE A DIRECT THREAT TO ISRAEL AND OTHER ALLIES. WE CAN DO THIS, CONDUCT THOSE NEGOTIATIONS WITH OUR ALLIES AS PART OF A TEAM WITHOUT WITHDRAWING FROM THE EXISTING AGREEMENT. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I YIELD THE FLOOR