{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://stivers.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399404", "Supporting an Open Internet", "2017-12-20", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Steve Stivers", "S001187", "stivers.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Free and open internet should never be a partisan issue.  Everyone uses the internet, regardless of their political affiliation, and therefore it is difficult to find someone who is opposed to maintaining access for all consumers on an equal basis.  However, where we do not have consensus is on how best to preserve the ideas embodied by net neutrality. \r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      Free and open internet should never be a partisan issue. Everyone uses the internet, regardless of their political affiliation, and therefore it is difficult to find someone who is opposed to maintaining access for all consumers on an equal basis. However, where we do not have consensus is on how best to preserve the ideas embodied by net neutrality. Prior to 2015, the internet was governed by what is referred to as a light-touch framework. Classified as an information service, the internet was regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and instances of monopolistic behavior and rule breaking were handled on a case-by-case basis. This allowed innovation to flourish and the internet to become the incredible power that it is today.  For the last two years, the internet has been reclassified as a Title II utility service regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and was subject to the same standards that were used to regulate rotary phones in the 1930s. In todays increasingly globalized and connected world, the internet has influenced virtually every factor of our daily lives, including how we communicate with loved ones, conduct business, or how our automobiles and public transit keep us safe on the roads.  This technological marvel is something that wasnt even imagined in the 1930s, and therefore should not be regulated the way telegraph lines, rotary phones, or gas lines are. Rather than enforcing anti-competitive practices on a case-by-case basis, Title II regulation has installed a mother-may-I regime which has delayed engineering, created confusion for innovators, and cost billions of dollars to comply with. As a result innovation has stalled, and investment in broadband dropped each of the two years under the old FCC rules. In the wake of the FCCs decision to reclassify broadband as an information service, and reversing the rules on throttling and blocking I felt that it was essential to re-implement these important provisions. Congress has the responsibility to ensure that consumers are protected from predatory actions, and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) do not have a right to pick winners and losers or prohibit users from legal content. These standards need to be implemented with the permanency of law so that consumers are protected and not subject to the whims of unelected bureaucrats.  With that in mind, I am cosponsoring legislation in an effort to prohibit throttling, and blocking of online content by ISPs. H.R. 4862 is an important piece of legislation that seeks to prohibit ISPs from preventing access to lawful internet traffic and content, and from slowing traffic based on the content, source, or destination of the information. The legislation also provides proper authority to the FCC to enforce the prohibition on throttling and blocking, and ensures the FTC maintains the ability to prosecute any anti-competitive practices as they have done for over 100 years.  Ive heard from many of my constituents who do not want ISPs deciding what sites they visit, what videos they watch, or how they conduct their business online, and I agree. This bill would prohibit those sorts of monopolistic practices. Additionally, by codifying the standards for ISPs and protecting consumers through legislative action, we can prevent future administrations from politicizing the principles and open nature of the internet.  Amidst the hyperbole online, what is being missed is the common ground and agreement on the principles of net neutrality that almost everyone can agree on. While much of the debate has focused on reclassification to enforce these rules using Title II, many others believe that there is no place for government intervention in business. Instead of the all or nothing approach, the legislation I support is a middle ground approach that protects consumers with codified net neutrality rules, while preventing overly burdensome and broad regulations.  The bottom line is, net neutrality is important, and I am committed to preserving the principles of a fair and open internet through legislation as opposed to executive action. I do not want ISPs to create a fast lane for their preferred content. That choice should remain with consumers I will continue working on this legislation and other solutions to protect consumers and the open internet.  If you have questions about net neutrality, H.R. 4862 or any other issue before Congress, do not hesitate to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 225-2015, my Hilliard office at (614) 771-4968, my Lancaster office at (740) 654-2654, or my Wilmington office at (937) 283-7049. ###", 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": ["http://stivers.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399404"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.3230561055243015, "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"}