Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Dean Heller (R-NV) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) released the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved Chairman Tom Wheeler’s net neutrality proposal in a 3-2 party-line vote. 

“If the last two weeks at the FCC have not underscored the need for Congress to take the lead on Internet policy, we are not sure what will.  For the third time in less than a decade, the FCC is trying to regulate the Internet in some fashion.  Many are discussing whether the proposal the FCC chairman has outlined does enough to regulate the Internet.  This is misguided.  The conversation should focus on if we need any regulation at all, especially without a demonstrated market failure.

“We continue to believe that applying a 19th century framework to 21st century innovative technologies is not what a progressive Internet policy should look like.  Instead of delegating this critical policy issue to the FCC, Congress should get to work on an Internet policy that will put consumers and competition first. 

“With Congress taking the lead, we will meet the demands of all Americans, who are increasingly turning to the Internet to access voice services, video, and data without upending the ‘light touch’ regulatory framework that is in existence today.  Twenty-eight CEOs of telecommunications companies recently wrote that this framework supports nearly 11 million U.S. jobs annually and has unleashed over $1.2 trillion of investment in advanced wired and wireless broadband networks as well as an entirely new apps economy.

“The FCC should respect its regulatory limits and Congress should do its job to address these concerns.  In the meantime, any policy adopted by the FCC should continue to respect the ‘light touch’ regime that has led to industry investment and a thriving Internet ecosystem.

“As Republican Commissioner Ajit Pai said this morning: This is  ‘not for us, five unelected individuals, to decide. Instead, it should be resolved by the people’s elected representatives, those who choose the direction of government — and those whom the American people can hold accountable for that choice. I am therefore disappointed that today, rather than turning to Congress, we have chosen to take matters into our own hands.’”

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