More to make sure they either pay for have internet lines go down. This has been the essential 21st century innovation to those of bigur corporations instead of making sure main street innovators do what they do w best for total think the American People want Cable Companies to be the gatekeeper. They want to have the sec continue to play a role to make sure that the open internet is therefore also Small Businesses and innovators can continue to build and communicating with their consumers and Business Partners for without having artificially slowed down mines. Who does this impact . Seniors with tell a health and students from learning slowing down of the education mines families accessing it to usual tools for children and the highway so important to make sure that new internet businesses are started could be impacted. Reason to one make sure we do everything we can from implementing their rule to make sure we give consumers the protection of the neutrality it will harm the internet economy last summer we had a town meeting and heard from many constituents so that the chairman would understand why this would impact us so much but let me understand what is happening. The fcc had rules that prevented companies from throttling were blocking and have paved the way too many great successes we have fortune 500 companies and is responsible for 7 percent of the nation gdp at 6. 9 million jobs in the United States why would you change the rules now . Making sure critical protections are in t place and replace them with the ability for Certain Companies to wreak havoc on this economy . Thirteen of Washington State depends on the selfie internet sector 250,000 jobs when the nation is looking to see they have had enough wage growth with the middleclass earning bordets tech jobs are a bedrock for the middle class. Chairman pai was not focused on the 13,000 ted companies in the state of washington our to under 50,000 jobs in the 13 the states economy justice past weekend my colleagues and i met with many of these Small Businesses and their messageag was loud and clear, please stop chairman pai from ruining the internet by taking away key protections to make sure our businesses run successfully. He is abandoning the consumer he swore an oath to serve and is turning his back on innovators and has changed the direction for the innovation economy. He thinks it is a light touch but it is no touched than what we need is to make sure that these companies do not artificially charge consumers or main street for what theyre already doingoi now and successfully. Obviously the open internet r rule has fuelled the innovation economy perked every Business Plan or start up runs and the ability to contact consumers with this much economy at stake was not continue to make mistakes. Lets fight here in the senate to make sure we stop chairman pai and the fcc from having the resources to implement the rule. Is important to continue to fight for every street entrepreneurs in the innovation in the economy to have the old bin internet as they have said this weekend so to say they will make the decisions and in control and not competition and to slow down one of the best parts of our economy. I hope we joey in the fight to stop from any manner possible from the implementing what is literally a very anticompetitive strategy to refocus on big corporations instead of the innovation in the economy of the future. I yield the floor. Madammr president i want to thank all my colleagues sinner cantwell for doing me on the of lower on behalf of millions of constituents and tens of millions with those thatto support a fair and Free Internet i am pleased to come to the floor of National Importance of our economy and democracy of Net Neutrality. People have stopped and asked me recently what exactly is that neutrality . The technical answer is the principal that Internet Service providers like verizon at t or comcast those that you pay each month for your Broadband Service cannot discriminate against the content providers. So now the simple explanation is no one owns the internet. Everyone can use the internet. Anyone can improve the b internet but that is not the case of the Trump Administration, chairman pai and republicans have their way they want to get rid of a the fcc Net Neutrality rules so that the isis peas can indiscriminately slowdown the web sites were block websites and make it harder or maybe even impossible for inventors are our entreprenuers are Small Businesses with the lifeblood of the American Economy to connect to the internet. Thatat is why we are here this afternoon on the floor and why supporters of a free and open n internet are vigorously opposed to the attempt of the neutrality that allows the internet to flourish. The sec is voting on a proposal that cuts at the very heart of a free and open internet. They are voting to roll back protections and send a love letter to the Big Broadband companies that stand to make huge profits without these rules. To so what are chairman pai and his buddies really trying to do . First, that the rules against blocking. What does that mean . That the Internet Service provideran could block any web site including a complete a competing service, a contrary political view. Second chairman pai would cut thetl rule that means the Internet Service provider could slow down any web site that it wants and third tee period chairman pai to have paid printers asian. So that means the Internet Service provider could charge websites for the fast lane meaning they go quicker while those that cannot afford the internet easy passage is stuck on the gravel path more time to load frustrating consumers with long buffers time. And then chairman pai looking at general conduct rule. That means that that would protect consumers from harm such as data cancer and other discriminatory behavior that i is peas think of it in the coming months or years ahead and then to create the unregulated interconnection market. What does that mean . The fcc would move its authority to oversee places where i is peas connect to the internet and extract fees and finally chairman pai was to prevent states and localities from adopting their own Net Neutrality protections. So what would be the replacement for the enforceable neutrality rules today . Absolutely nothing. He leaves it to the Internet Service providers to regulate themselves in this internet wild west. Meanwhile chairman pai claims the federal trade commission not the fcc not the one of expertise of communications with the trade commission somehow provide a sufficient backstop for bad behavior by the isp but that is simply not true. Under the federal trade commission and the of broad bad broadband would establish a tone that neutrality policy that is letting the of police develop their own playground rules and if the ideas he wants to block websites to slow downno competitors web sites or charge innovators to reach customers they will be free to do so because the ftc can only step bin if a broadband provider violates its own policy at that is created private company itself they have a written policy to charge for the fast lane there is nothing the ftc can do about it and that is ridiculous and it is wrong. Along with a broad band industry to set their own and neutrality protection is like letting the fox guard the hen house. Okay. Day ftc oversight will not work and chairman by says he has another solution called transparency that i espys are transparent of their neutrality practices that consumers and businesses can simply choose to use of broadband provider with neutrality. But what good is transparency when most americans have little or no choice for highspeed broad band access . 62 percent of americans have only one choice for the nearly twothirds of the country who can purchase broadband. So that means if a household only choice is a transparent than the consumer has two choices. Except the Internet Service providers choice for live without the internet that is a false choice. People do not want to live without the internet in the 21st century. So now chairman pai also claims isp support Net Neutrality but just not be open internet type under which we are living today to say you support democracy but not the constitution you like math but you hate numbers for gore makes no sense. Fighting at the fcc in the courts to block the neutrality rules. The broad band is deeply opposed to Net Neutrality because they want to drive of their profits by setting up the internet fast and slovenes to charge consumers more for less. Is a simple formula. Chairman pai also claims the broadband investment has been discouraged by open internet and that is false, investment in broadband infrastructure is stronger than ever and with that 5g technology on the horizon we can expect a strong investment to continue. Friday and investment on the aggregate has increased in the two years since the fcc passedus the open end internet to order so with a broad ban speeds that have also increased meaning the highest peas have proven what they offered to their consumers and in 2016 almost half of those funds invested went to internet specific and Software Companies 25 billion worth of investment. Investment in broadband and Wireless Technology and job creation is high in Venture Capital is high. Chairman pai for in stooge disrupted this to squash innovation online. It is clear americans do not want what the fcc is proposing. This seems like the only supporter of this plan is a broad band c industry. Chairman pai and his colleagues turned a deaf ear to people standing up for netpp neutrality and approve their plan we will continue the fight elsewhere with the obama rules challenged by the highest peas in 2015 i wrote a congressional negative congressional brief and we will do the same fame this b time in defense of that neutrality and then also intend to file a Congressional Review Act their resolution of disapproval with a number of my colleagues of the United States v senate can vote to undo chairman pai proposal to restore the 2015 open internet order. The Trump Administration has an all out assault on our core protections like the affordable d care act, a paris clavichord, and and now the fcc puts Net Neutrality in its sights. For all of those that rely and the free and open Internet Health care or entertainment i urge you to join in in this fight to create a firestorm of opposition to this assault on the neutrality. This is a fundamental attack upon the openness of the internet and we must now have that bonding of ordinary americans for those that want to shut down that neutrality. Thank you maddow president. I yield back. Maddow of president. There are a handful of the innovations that have redefined the United States and the entire world real roads and the cotton gin and electricity in the automobile or just a few examples however without question, a broad base and internet is one of the defining innovations of our time. That connects rural and urban communities to tell of medicine, education and International Commerce for contract Broadband Internet is essentialal for communications in the modern era and lets us keep in touch with our loved ones a matter where they live and boost productivity across every single industry. And most importantly to revolutionize our economy leading to millions of new jobs. The ability to instantly reach consumers wherever they live has allowed american Small Businesses and startups to compete with large Global Corporations in a way that was unimaginable a couple of decades ago. Michigan is home to 850,000 Small Businesses and a growingin number of startups. And put america on the cutting edge of the interconnected Economy MichiganSmall Businesses can compete and innovate because of the free and open structure of the internet but unfortunately these are atil risk tomorrow the sec will vote to eliminate current projections that stop large corporations from stifling Small Businesses and harming the American People. I think the facts are straightforward and the fcc is wrong. They should stop what theyreee doing and keep the current protections in place. The current rules i have consistently supported prevent bias peas from blocking, slowing or prioritizing web traffic for their own financialhe been at the expense of Small Businesses and every day internet users. The fccs actions rollback these protections to usher in a new era of the twotiered internet that can pay for the fast lane and the slow for the rest of us. This allows ideas peas in multinational corporations to compete unfairly against startups to a slowdown in traffic and to play gatekeeper to potential customers for girl let me be clear repealing that tight and neutrality is and innovation it is anticompetition. Repealing that neutrality is anticonsumer. The fcc should not consider this proposal tomorrow to degrade Internet Service especially at a time when 20 million households in rural i america including michigan still lack access to highspeed Broadband Internet the sec has a lot of work to do to close the digital divided repealing the neutrality takes a country backwards, not forward of the internet does not grow then the economy will be heard for generations to come. Highspeed broadband and thatis neutrality is as vital as electricity was of the 20th century all deserve access regardless of income was a code. We accomplished awe bullhorn and to brings electricity to every place even in the rural area to make it a National Priority. We need to make access to Broadband Internet with strong protection is a National Priority today. By preserving active neutrality we put students, artists and advocates and other visionaries to invent the future to create the next big thing ahead of said handful of multinational corporations. The fcc should call off this dangerous vote and instead to work to make sure the internet is the hub of creativity and entrepreneurship and competition. Madam president i ask unanimous consent the remainder of remarks appear elsewhere in the record. Without objection. A over two months ago listed in this chamber urging colleagues to pass legislation to prevent kids enrolled in the Childrens HealthInsurance Program from losing their health care. The Childrens HealthInsurance Program or chip provides coverage to over 100,000 children in my home state of michigan and 9 million children nationwide. I recall welcoming the news that since senator hatch and why did reach a bipartisan agreement to extend the Health Care Benefits for the children. They Work Together and went throughel regular order, the finance Committee Held a hearing in m the markup of the bill in october. We although regular order is a very rare event in the senate today and i appreciated a bipartisan effort to have a senate vote on a bill that is critical to our nations children. I expected this bill would come to the floor and pass with broad bipartisan in relief bringing families across the nation never worried their children would have health care in 2018. Story a amount of funds within weeks. In my home state of michigan i heard from parents who are worried about whether their children will still be able to see their pediatrician next year. Ive also heard from pediatricians who take care of these children how children will be heard if their health care is taken away. It would be unconscionable to rip Healthcare Services away from children during the most formative years of their life. It would be unconscionable to put more roadblocks up for families whose children need annual physicals and vaccines before they can go to school and it would be unconscionable to increase Health Care Costs for working families who are just trying to keep their children healthy and give them the opportunity to prosper. This is not a partisan issue. In 1997 president clinton worked with a republican majority in the senate and house of representatives to successfully pass the Childrens HealthInsurance Program into law. Thatat legislation passed with 5 votes in the senate because providing needed Health Services to children should never be a partisan issue. The program has been reauthorized on a bipartisan basis since its inception because it is effective. Its wo