Hi my name is Mike doyle and I'm proud to represent Pittsburgh Pennsylvania I'm also the ranking member of communications and technology sub Committee and the House where the battle for net neutrality is been fun Congress for more than a decade today I'm hosting a discussion about net neutrality with other members of Congress as well as technology policy advocates and experts we've all been fighting protect and promote a free and open Internet for a long time we have put And pressed administrations and congresses for years to put in place strong enforceable rules and in two thousand 15 we finally got them those rules came after more than three point seven million people called the federal communications Commission the put strong rules in place at the time that was the highest number of comments any federal agency had ever received by several orders of magnitude and it represented unprecedented public call for decisive action The outpouring of support for net neutrality was fueled by social media individual citizens and of course John all over but it also showed people the power they have to impact the process even one like this where the public has really had a voice Internet and tech policy has primarily been a battle between big companies with deep pockets since the beginning the very notion that the public could even comment on policy decisions that the F C C with something telecom and media companies rejected for decades and it took Go action in court decisions to guarantee the public a voice as the Internet has become our primary mode of communication Commerce and expression the public has realized that they can't stay silent any longer and that their voice your voice matters as of this morning six point five million people have sent the fcc comments calling on them to keep the current net neutrality rules and while the battle ahead of us will be difficult I will tell you that I am heartened by the incredible outpouring of support we've seen today I firm I believe that is the Internet has become a more Central part of our lives we realize the value of having rules to ensure a level playing field promote competition and innovation and protect consumers now I'll be the first to tell you that the net neutrality rules adopted in two thousand 15 are perfect but they're a damn sight better than no rules at all and that's a sexually with a trump administration is proposing they want to repeal these rules without any replacement many is Use of said they wanna free Internet but what they want is an Internet that is free of rules and Internet where they are free to do whatever want whenever they want these are the same companies that have blocked throttled and slow down services they don't like our services they compete with isps control access to consumers in this country and eighty five percent of the population only has one choice for high speed Internet in we're all America you're lucky if you even have one choice I challenge my colleagues on the other side of the hour to go back to their districts and asked their constituents whether they wanna slower Internet with fewer choices less competition and higher prices I challenge them to find small businesses and entrepreneurs who want a harder time reaching customers and doing business online I challenge them to find innovators who wanted to be harder to bring new ideas and new products to the market I Mention the find someone other than I speaks who think getting rid net neutrality is a good idea what we're here today to tell Americans don't want the fcc to do this we're gonna kick off this discussion by talking to gloria for standing at the National Hispanic media coalition and former fcc Commissioner gloria welcome thank you thank you it's really good to have you here today it's good to be here again and I just wanna ask you a few questions they might so tell us without net neutrality Internet service providers can decide what website you see in and how you see them how would the roll back of net neutrality affect Racial movements online well so many of our racial Justice movements have depended on a hoping access where we can freely and completely well without impediments reach all the Americans that we need to reach uh a company could they didn't like what we were saying if they didn't like a particular protest they could just walk or they can also slow it now and it would change the way that the Internet has function is the I call it the great equalizer um it really makes a Hey mom perceive thrive when people who normally can't have their voices heard are able to do so and giving companies like eighteen t verizon and comcast the free reign to do whatever they want is not a good thing thank you tell me a Commissioner the nh mc filed a motion asking for more time to comment in the us he sees net neutrality proceeding I've also ask the fcc to extend the comment deadline can you explain why you all feel followed that motion and why getting more time is so important it is critical um Couple months ago actually two months and two weeks we filed freedom of information act request and we ask the fcc to give us the 47000 plus complaints are related to violations of the net neutrality rules and we have in store what we've gotten a handful of those complaints and they're all these complete sitting there that no one has analyze no one who's seen and we're saying how can you take away the rules if I don't know think function if you don't know what a function so we need the time so we can analyzed this consumer they um the voices of Americans who have um you don't written the fcc and complain about their Internet service providers that's very important I believe think lastly let me ask you one last thing I've heard that some say that net neutrality protection on our Mobile phones is particularly important for low income folks can you explain that well Those bitch I can tell you what's particularly important to the latino community which is a community that we focus on because the nose have the highest uh percentage of just using smartphones versus um you know that's tops or other access to the computer so if you do away with it for poor the vulnerable populations and it's not just latinos it's other people of color uh they will be able to do many of the things that you know this movements this uh engaging democracy actually engaging business and and continue to thrive My shit uh if you have any comments you'd like to make an and into tell our viewers why it's so important that they contact the F C C and and make their feelings known um it's really important that you let the fcc know comments comments their initial comments are due next Monday then there's a parent through August sixteenth at you can comment and you can continue to write to the master that that net neutrality and an open Internet is essential to you and that you needed so you can exercise your rights so that you can freely comment or receive content so that you can Thrive as a business person or or that you can uh drive is a creator um and and be able to use the Internet are modern way to communicate I call it um our new civil right so that you can use it uh as you have been using a bit it will lead and with full and equal access for all let the se si no Commissioner thank you very much we appreciate having you on this program and thank you for reminding all our viewers how important is that we get on the phones and we call the fcc and make sure that we comment on this So that the fcc will do the right thing and not take away this valuable protection that people have right now thank you so much cutie next life believe where you have who's coming Sarah Morris director of the open Internet policy new america's open technology Institute Sarah will be joining us shortly while we're waiting for Sarah let me continue to remind you how important is that our voices be heard six point five million Americans that's a record but we need to get that number even higher if the fcc is gonna listen to what we have to say Sarah thanks for being here today thanks for having me coming to see you so so Tell me for the folks watching at home can you explain what the F C C is doing to undermined the net neutrality rules yeah so it while the fcc has said that they care about net neutrality and that they wanna move forward with something new what they're actually proposing is simply to repeal the rules there they wanna get the authority that um the fcc relied on to an active 20 15 order and then which leaves them with really low options for meaningful net neutrality protection once it's so important that we stop this effort I The Internet is so Central to everything that we do every aspect of our lives it is platform on which Internet companies can innovate and thrive it's a tool for Democratic participation civic discourse and underlies every uh everything we do from the moment we get up to the minute we go to bed at night are our scales are connected to the Internet our phones our computers everything and so if we leave the is peace in control of the content that we can access um as users uh then that's just asking for trouble so you know with the up she's talking about is getting rid of these rules without any replacement tell the viewers with the Internet would be like with These rules I mean up a lot of time to make the comparison to cable it would be major companies like comcast eighteen team verizon controlling the content that you access they become the gatekeepers not just for the shows you watch on on your cable television but the websites you visit the email service providers you use um any any tool that you access on mine and finally once again let's remind the viewers why it's important for them to contact the F C C you know we really believe that uh Groundswell of support for the existing that neutrality rules can move the needle this is how we got the rules in the first place millions and millions of commenters from all across the country made their voices heard um this time is is now to do that again and there's a really important opportunity right now great tools available at the battle for the next like to do that sir thank you so much for being with us today appreciate it thank you congressman and let me remind our viewers three point five million comments to get these rules in place where it's six point five now but we need to keep going we're gonna get the fcc to listen to us they need to hear from you so let's make sure we're lighting up those phones at the seas make sure the we're making comments online and And letting the fcc know that we don't need to fix something that's not broken we wanna keep our open Internet rules thanks yeah so um again I'm so I'm still on yeah I'mma working while we're waiting for our next guest to come maybe we can just talk a little bit more you know the average person when you say the word net neutrality sometimes it just flies over their head and they're not sure what net neutrality really means I would venture to say if we walked out on independence Avenue and grab the first 20 people and save to find that neutrality would probably get 20 different definition Yes but maybe on just a basic level for the average person at home that sitting on their computer and and dollar ing up there is B or four for they the business person has a new idea you know that the next person in their garage that comes up with the next new idea that's gonna be the great discovery what is it mean to a person like that who's trying to get that product and trying to get that information online if the big guys can sorta you know take up the the all the lanes on the highway so to speak in relegate him to the berm of the road work She's you know talk a little bit about that cuz I think people really to understand what we're talking about sure I mean so for the average user when you go online you historically through the entire existence of the Internet have been able to access the Internet in its entirety that means you can click on the website and it will load of this is one website will go to the same speed up as another note no one is able to certainly not the Internet service providers are able to put 11 website on the fast lane so that when you click let's say uh netflix but it loads faster than amazon Prime <skipped> Moments in new products and technology uh talk a little bit about that and let's understand that the folks understand basically what these things sickly three simple rules that the Sea is put in place say and and and talk about has investment really been stifled uh get always says verizon and eighteen t and comcast there you know what they tell their shareholders sure and I know you have Craig aaron um a friend of mine from free press coming on later and he can talk about the investments realities I hope that didn't the short answer is what investment is not down these are very common sense rules prohibiting blocking throttling and paid prioritization to these fast lanes that we were just talking about that's that's both those are the core of the rules and the se si Ben adopted and an extra rule the general conduct rule to basically a standard so that if there are other harms going going forward if the Internet service providers come up with new ways to interfere with the way that users interact with the Internet that the fcc has the ability and the tools in their toolbox to address those harms going to going forward will thank you I think that's very helpful or viewers and I wanna thank you for being with us today uh we are We gonna have one of my colleagues on the energy and Commerce Committee congressman John starvation joining us and I'm excited about that joins a great member of the Committee I wanna remind our viewers that we need to hear from you the F C C needs to hear from you uh we need to make sure we get those comments in online on on phone let's make this a day that breaks all records we've already broken records with six point five million comments let's keep it going uh I'm now very pleased to have one of my favorite members of the energy and Commerce Committee congressman John survey John you might hate it was good to be with you see you know joy I've heard you say that a repeal of the Obama Internet rules will further consolidate market power in the hands of a few at the expense of many to work viewers why you think that suck well look at you see this increasing consolidation of power among big players in just about every industry my community not just telecommunication but definitely the telecommunications arena ladies cable companies and Internet service providers there starting in vertically integrate which means you're not just delivering action as they're actually developing the content so it's gonna be very easy for them if they get more power if these are Rules that have been put in place that are kinda keeping a check on their power those get pushed aside they're gonna be able to have the power to basically say hey we wanna put our content where the product and the company that's paying us we're gonna put that first we're gonna Grant preferred access to that so you know I wanna load up the website of some start up cuz I got a good product and I go to do that it takes 45 seconds or minutes to do it why because that Internet service provider got paid by a competitor some big box retailer company you know to give for Third actions to load their website faster so I can't get to that product to that website I get blocked because these big companies are getting more and more power that's that's what we gotta push back on that's why we need these rules in place to put a check on this consolidation that's happening mommy's big companies so that's why open Internet has to be preserved by keeping these rules in place and I don't understand I cannot understand why the then you have the Sea would wanna get rid of that authority that's a story that resides in the F C C and under the statute so you can protect Consumer out there it's crazy to get rid of these rules that's why we need people to send their comments and the Sea saying keep an open and free Internet maintain net neutrality it's good for the average person it's good for the start up business it's good for everybody and you can see exactly you know John here on the Hill you're you're known for your work as a reformer especially when it comes to fighting big money in politics what role is big money playing do you think in the net neutrality debate shouldn't play any role on The uh I mean well look you look back at two thousand 14 which was the last time we had kind of this battle brewing and you saw the cable company is pcs Internet providers were starting to pour money into campaign spending lobbying expenditures advertising every using a lot of a lot of money that they had to try to tilt the scales in favor of their power and their hold on the economy and to the detriment of the average person out there the consumer the small startup company and so forth Now what happen in two thousand 14 is in spite of those special interests trying to call the shots on where this debate landed the public stood up millions of comments came in acting say wait a second you're not gonna take the Internet this tool away from us from the broad public and like have it all to yourself and those comments made a difference that's why we need the comments to come in and then this time because the crowd you know the Internet service providers and cable companies and people that control the access the pipelines they're put in the same kind of money in That special interest money is coming in advertising the lobbing the campaign spending their using all their tools to play the inside game tonight out with the consumer interest is the public interested we can overcome that but only if male eons of American step up before this comment period is and and and I think they go right to see website up and they can put their comment on saying we have got to keep a free and open Internet that's why this day of action today is so critical and I wanna thank you not just for your work on the Committee really sort of Standing guard over preserving the openness of the Internet but also helping to lead this effort to let people know that they gotta you know they gotta step up and let their views be known on this kind of thing and I think people are starting to realize you know the Internet is is part of everyday life it goes across the breadth of ages uh a brace of income throughout the country uh and people don't understand that a lot of this is a threat You know the big question we hear all the time that if all the is peace claimed to be for an open Internet and say you know we're not gonna do all those terrible things that your your first why is it that there you fear the rules that are in place if if they say they're for all these things then why does it bother them that there's a rule that says you need to be for all these thing it's a very good question and makes you wonder whether they're really being completely candid when they when they say that you look at these rules things like you cannot block access you cannot give up preferential treatment of people because they're paying you because some big company um is is paying you what we have that paid prior There's Asian hey private hear that word sometimes that they don't know what that means this is some company that has deep pockets they can go to the Internet provider some cable company and say hey you know what I want you to load up my website first if somebody is looking for a power drill and there's there's a hardware store down the road and and they decided to compete they needed to get a website up right there being entrepreneurial bad it they understand that's what they need to do so they developed this website and so I In the community and I need I needed a power tool so I've gone online to try to find it well if this big box company over here has paid off the Internet service provider to load up their website first and show their advertising for that power tool that that local hardware guys never gonna be able to compete with that that's not what we want we want start ups to be able to have anything you know have a decent shot at competing but most importantly we want the average citizen out there Once they get good information to be able to get it and I have to wonder whom is a reason this website is popping up because it's the best or it's competitive or is it just because somebody got paid off to get faster traffic on that pipeline that's not right that's very basic reasonable rule to put in place and these Internet service providers auto recognize that but forget about them then you chairman auto recognize that the chairman To see this is his job to protect the public interest and make sure that it's an even playing field for people out there so it's the chairman's responsibility to recognize what the public ones here and like I said before we fought for this back in two thousand 14 to make sure the public interest was protected and we need to fight for it again and it's only gonna happen long and win this fight if everyday citizens step up send your comments into the Sea and say we have to protect a free and open Internet join thank you so much as scratch my car with you on the Committee and Next for coming by today and talk about pleasure thanks so you've heard it from John sorry veins and will say it over and over again we need to get online we need to make sure we are making comments to the F C C we need to get letters to while the chairman of the Committee uh Greg walden charity energy and Commerce Committee marsha blackburn subcommittee chair of communications and technology these members need to hear from youtube so let's make sure we are lighting up their offices to and and make sure that the fcc is hearing from the grassroots we've already got six point five million comments let's run that number <skipped> <skipped> Those because they can afford it or because um they have content of their saying something that somebody doesn't like and we all know that it's small business really the generates the most jobs in this country if we're gonna see economic growth and job growth in the country it's gonna be by growing small businesses tell me how the small businesses in your district rely on the Internet to to launch their products and services and get information out to people well I just talked to a hairdresser this morning to just open up a small business and she is video Those that she downloads to potential customers and gets them interested in what they can a shoes that for scheduling uh that's just an example of how you can promote your business you can market your business you can promoted you can you can reach a worldwide audience and these folks don't have a lot of money to be putting out there forever ties and so this is a great way to reach to reach a lot of people there's small business people tell you that the internet's help them expand their customer base early are they getting access to more customers because of the Internet oh that's exactly right when you can put something on my Mine on the youtube a video somebody can downloaded then you're gonna get you're gonna get more visibility um and you may have an officer of business it's a small corner um but people all over town can see it and they come in so what you're saying and in your neck of the Woods and in California is the Internet is a tool that's growing small businesses in it it's really a vital part of your regional economy in California it sure is Mike and we also have a lot of and money come on to you get a little wine growers lot of put to you boutique win growers uh they depend on being able to get the word out they may have videos and that's just that's just common practice now if you're if you're held back for some reason <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> We sold like that if they pass it anyway and now I see there's they're having room regret something people that home percent why did you so my dad you getting um you gonna kick backs or whatever I mean it puts a big cloud over them and I think now they're realizing a I have a bill that will a real establish that and I hope that people can sign on to those good to my data bill I remember during the debate on the floor one of our colleagues says if you can go outside and find one person walking around the capital that thinks it's a good idea that they can sell your data without your permission I'll vote for the cr ah uh no Republican took him up on that didn't know it wouldn't be possible if you had any of your constituents call you on the phone and say yeah that's okay that's a bit that's that and then to troll you today our biggest input from my constituents yeah and I think we're seeing as you said from from Republican members who are being asked by their constituents why did you vote to allow this to have for my dad to be sold I think of the implications on people's health records for instance um if What potential employer the threat had somebody's health record and and and maybe this person had some sort of a chronic condition and how that would affect your ability maybe to get a job with that player um that's why it's so important we have this protection is in place and I think a lot of people just assume that that they're safe but nobody should think that their death is private uh not know this day and age and in so it's an important issue and one that I think we've been fighting hard for on the Committee so I think it's it's up to us as federal legislators To protect people's privacy and the people expected of a so when that doesn't happen there gonna be surprise and they're gonna be angry and I think they're just a fight of that so we need to get those we need to get those protection back I think another thing that the viewers need to understand to is we seem to have this battle between whether F C C should uh have real making of ability or whether some of these can be done at the F t C the federal trade Commission which doesn't have real making a 40 and I think the difference they need to understand is The fcc has the ability to set down rules and then the they have to abide by these rules that can't break these rules or they're in violation at F t C there's there's no rules percent it's it's once they've done something and someone files a complaint against them that's right then the Sea investigates that complain and remain met mayor not take action so uh I think you know people get confused with the terminology of C C F t C what what is paid prioritization means what's net neutrality I think our job as As legislators this is to try to you know explain what this all means and and what the impact is for the average person so maybe in closing I know we have another guest coming up you could just tell the viewers very briefly why it's important they call the fcc today on this day of action well it was bigger symbols possible they're making some very big decisions one the net neutrality um if if number trial if we lose net neutrality this weekend the rules right now we're very good they're very strong if the new F C The federal communication Commission chairman loosen those rules or change the rules of we're gonna see paid prayers nation we're gonna see Internet slow down based on whether or not you can afford the the the fast lane or whether not you have information that they don't like so I think this is very very important to people to call in and let them know that um let the people at the fcc know that you care thank you it was important free shit you your being being with with light that I think thank you you thank you well you've heard from gerry mcnally and let me just remind you again uh this is a day of action a This is the day we need to get to the Sea and tell them that the Internet rules aren't broken and they don't need to be fixed uh that we don't want the F C C to move forward on taking away these rules it's so important that you contact F C C today I'm joined with very dynamic member of our Committee and a good friend congresswoman Jan tchaikovsky nice to see you thank you so much for being with us today how it is it is great to have you here and and I think you know why don't we start by just saying why you think it's important this day of <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> I don't think the F C C can move forward with the roll making if 10 million people have commented not sounds like a huge number and I'm putting a challenge out there today on this National day action that everyone that's here in our voice and watching us today talks to their friends their family their neighbors and we get everybody to go online and make sure they're commenting to the F C C general wanna thank you so much for being with us today and you forgot retired million challenge yes do it keep going okay thank you <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped> <skipped>