{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters-floor-remarks-on-need-to-protect-net-neutrality", "Peters Floor Remarks on Need to Protect Net Neutrality", "2017-12-13", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MI", "Gary Peters", "P000595", "www.peters.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.13.17\n\t\t\t Peters Floor Remarks on Need to Protect Net Neutrality \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Peters: \u201cRepealing net neutrality is anti-innovation. Repealing net neutrality is anti-competition. And repealing net neutrality is anti-consumer.\u201d\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t WASHINGTON, D.C.\u00a0\u2013 U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) spoke on the Senate floor today in opposition to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to roll back net neutrality protections that keep the internet open and free for consumers and small businesses. Below is video and text of his remarks as prepared for delivery:\r\nWatch the full video\r\n\u201cThere are a handful of innovations in recent centuries that have redefined the United States, and the world. The cotton gin, railroads, electricity and the automobile are just a few examples.\u00a0\r\n\u201cHowever \u2013 without question \u2013 broadband internet is one of the defining innovations of our time.\r\n\u201cBroadband internet connects both rural and urban communities to vital services like telemedicine, educational resources, and international commerce. Broadband internet is absolutely essential for communication in the modern era, it lets us keep in touch with our loved ones \u2013 no matter where they live \u2013 and has boosted productivity across industries. And perhaps most importantly, broadband internet revolutionized our economy and led to the creation of millions of jobs.\r\n\u201cThe 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 would have been unimaginable just a couple decades ago.\r\n\u201cMichigan is home to over 850,000 small businesses, and a growing number of startups. The new ideas and creative solutions they generate put America on the cutting edge of a global and interconnected economy. Michigan small businesses are able to compete and innovate because of the free and open structure of the internet, but unfortunately these opportunities are at risk.\r\n\u201cTomorrow, the FCC will vote to eliminate current net neutrality protections that stop large corporations from stifling small businesses and harming the American people. The FCC is wrong, and they should keep the current protections in place.\r\n\u201cThe current rules, which I have consistently supported, prevent internet service providers from blocking, slowing or prioritizing web traffic for their own financial gain at the expense of small businesses and everyday internet users.\r\n\u201cThe FCC\u2019s actions to roll back these protections could usher in a new era of the two tiered internet, one for large corporations that can pay for the fast lane, and a slow lane for the rest of us. This will allow internet service providers and multi-national corporations to compete unfairly against startups, slowing down their traffic, and playing gatekeeper to their potential customers.\r\n\u201cLet me be clear, repealing net neutrality is anti-innovation. Repealing net neutrality is anti-competition. And repealing net neutrality is anti-consumer.\r\n\u201cThe FCC should not consider this proposal tomorrow to degrade Internet service, especially during a time when over 20 million households in rural America \u2013 including far too many in Michigan \u2013 still lack access to high-speed broadband in the first place.\r\n\u201cThe FCC has a lot of work to do to close the digital divide, and repealing net neutrality is taking our country backwards. If the Internet doesn\u2019t work for growing small businesses and startups, our economy will be hurt for generations to come.\r\n\u201cHigh-speed broadband in the 21st century is every bit as vital as electricity was in the 20th century, all Americans deserve access, regardless of their income or zip code.\r\n\u201cWe accomplished the goal of bringing electricity to every household in the country, even in the most rural areas, by making it a national priority. We cannot put a handful of multinational corporations ahead of the students, artists, advocates, entrepreneurs and other visionaries who could be inventing the future and creating the next big thing.\r\n\u201cThe FCC should call off this dangerous vote and instead work to ensure the Internet remains a hub of entrepreneurship, creativity, and competition.\u201d\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/peters-floor-remarks-on-need-to-protect-net-neutrality"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.22601811401546, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}