Wyden cheers, Walden jeers FCC Net neutrality vote

Oregon’s senior senator and 2nd District congressman offered diametrically opposing reactions to the FCC’s 3-2 vote Thursday to impose Net neutrality rules and regulate Internet services like a utility.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., lauded the Federal Communications Commission approval of rules that he says will protect the free and open Internet:

“Today is a win for everyone who uses the Internet,” Wyden said. “The interests of individual Americans triumphed over those of corporate monopolies.

“These strong new rules will preserve the Internet we know and love, where start-ups can thrive regardless of the size of their wallets, and where people are free to speak and share ideas. The drumbeat of four million individual voices helped save the Internet,” Wyden said.

“I called for the reclassification of broadband under Title II because it is the best avenue to protect the free and open Internet. I am pleased to see the FCC approve the strongest rules possible,” Wyden said.

For more than 20 years, Sen. Wyden has fought to protect the open Internet and expand America’s digital economy. Over the past year, he repeatedly called onthe FCC to create strong rules to preserve net neutrality.

He authored the Internet Tax Freedom Act, which protects the Internet from multiple and discriminatory taxes, and section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that created liability protections that are fundamental to social media.

He continues to stand for policies that preserve the Internet as a platform for learning, speech and commerce and a level playing field for businesses.

Learn more about Sen. Wyden’s fight for the free and open Internet here: https://www.wyden.senate.gov/net-neutrality

But Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., had a much dimmer view of the FCC’s vote in favor of utility-style regulation of the Internet, offering up this statement:

“Resorting to Great Depression-era rules will trigger a stampede to the courts, unleashing years of lawsuits and uncertainty at a time when U.S. leadership and the Internet economy are more important than ever.

“We believe the Internet has worked well under current rules, but we were – and we remain – willing to come to the table with legislation to answer the calls for legally sustainable consumer protections for the free and open Internet that has fostered a generation of innovation, economic growth, and global empowerment.

“Republicans, Democrats, consumer groups, and investors all agree that we need sustainable protections to preserve the Internet as we know it. A 3-2 party-line vote is not the policy consensus this issue deserves. Consumers, investment in state-of-the-art networks, and job creation all stand to lose from today’s heavy-handed decision. And transparency has all but evaporated during this broken process. Once these rules finally emerge from the shadows, it will become clear that the FCC’s action today does not end the debate.”

Walden is the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, which has oversight jurisdiction of the FCC. A long-time proponent of a free and open internet, Walden has proposed draft legislation to protect consumers and the Internet without resorting to the FCC’s utility-style regulation.

The proposal provides clear rules of the road and guarantees that Internet users will continue to be the decision makers for the content they want, while ensuring that innovation and investment continue to fuel the robust future of the Internet. Most importantly, this legislation avoids lengthy court battles that will surely come from the FCC’s controversial regulation proposal. For more information on Walden’s proposal, please click here and here.