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Internet Neutrality Debate

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  • Description

    Chris Stirewalt discusses internet neutrality with FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell

  • Duration 7:13
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This transcript is automatically generated

All it is my great good fortune.

-- -- introduce to -- Internet.

Robert McDowell he's a commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission.

Back on the show to bring -- up to date on something that's going to be taking place about 29 minutes.

Which is that the United States senate is going to try to undo.

Some work that your commission did.

In bringing new regulations to the Internet so commissioner bring us up to speed tell us what's going.

That this is you do government has said oh yeah that Larry and I for the record -- -- that he voted against last December 31 elected to the darkest days of the year is an obvious as you voted out.

It's net neutrality order.

Which is essentially to insert government into -- fears of Internet.

Governance and regulation.

Unlike any other time and really was it as a complete reversal.

A bipartisan international consensus that started back -- -- Clinton or frustration so.

With the senators trying to do today is -- -- congressional review act chew over termed.

I want the FCC did I earlier this year under the congressional review practical CRA.

It passed overwhelmingly White House to -- -- -- votes.

And that's not the Senate's turn that this generally use a simple majority 51 votes it can't be filibustered under these virtual -- practice -- patience that's good.

And what net neutrality does essentially is.

Empower the FCC to determine who's -- -- -- the to regulate the access to Internet.

Brought bad broadband and Internet bandwidth out there to be -- traffic cop out there for who's using how much right -- it.

Asked to do with.

Whether or not you -- the proponents put their head off for second they say that your Internet service provider from cover your cable company shouldn't be allowed to.

I tell you what content and applications you can use well they don't do that now there is no problem to -- there's no not even -- an enormous amount of market failure here.

Well I wanna I wanna share with you because Al Franken.

The senator from Minnesota.

This is become his cause celeb.

And he is he has written about it he is gone bananas over the thank you just can't believe that anybody would try to undo what he thinks is it.

Wonderful rule.

So let's hear what he had to say about this yesterday in the said.

Madam president I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote against a motion to proceed to senator.

Hutchison's.

A joint resolution of disapproval which would repeal the FCC's net neutrality rules as many of you know I've repeatedly.

Said that net neutrality is the free speech issue of our time I still believe that is the case -- -- here to tell you why we need to do everything we can.

To stop this.

Partisan resolution in its track.

So Christmas -- this senator Franken called -- a free speech issue he says is a free speech issue.

I've heard this described by proponents of it.

As good did a commercial regulation to make sure that consumers are treated fairly that's -- proponents imported consumer end on this -- that.

Your provider can't take advantage of you or charge you more I've heard people on the other side.

Opponents say this is a free speech issue because the Internet should be free in the federal government should be regulated and and if you start regulating it there.

You run out of space so what's the for I I guess I'm missing the free speech argument.

From the proponents what's that about.

Readers are probably to be fixed right now.

And there -- the laws already on the books that could address a problem with former to a roster to talk about that women who are.

But actually the free speech argument by the proponents of this regulation -- the First Amendment on its head.

The First Amendment along with the rest of the Albright was -- -- as a bull work against state intervention to -- -- negative rights -- and it's about government censorship.

Against private parties is not about refereeing speech disputes.

Between private party let.

So if you look across the globe the real problem with the Internet.

And speech is not private sector -- the public sector -- China -- China great example exactly Iran.

In Egypt -- -- kill switch during the Arab Spring earlier this year but all the rest so this is a concern is that -- interject thing.

To the government into -- space and what the US is done it's lost the high ground internationally currently.

There is a large.

International effort to have subsidiary of the UN called international telecommunications union.

To try to.

Take over Internet governance issues to to regulate them these are our -- You know the administration -- domain names like dot com and go to work and two to be -- historically been.

Administered by nongovernmental groups multi stakeholder.

Groups more of it.

Lewis -- the UN now wants to also regulated and well has been going African leaders actually were not that almost your journal your and a half ago a warning about this and yes.

The UN wants to regulate the Internet 177 countries including China and Russia and others.

Through -- -- this in particular have an international body.

That would have overarching.

Regulatory functions over the -- of the Internet that would be disastrous for freedom would be disastrous for farmers.

Yeah I mean when you think about the human rights commission and other other entities that the UN has started over the years it was supposed to do a good thing oftentimes they end up doing the opposite thing right that's that's because you have to include them I don't ever call that Moammar Gadhafi was on the Libyan people from Libya was on the human rights commission at the UN and stuff like -- so these things often get perverted.

-- these are -- thing.

That can be done in the United States to deal with this to address this in advance.

We'll certainly -- pharmacy department commerce both of those agencies are -- groups are fighting against us and and are.

But we need to raise public awareness of it a year from December December 20 expose and also come to a head that's actually pretty soon.

And be proponents of -- and regulation actually have more momentum behind them now.

Than they've ever had before -- just came back a couple of days ago from Europe and they're -- lot of them.

Companies -- -- space or in a panic right now and -- -- disorganized and and are really funny situation.

I have used a lot of money over there where -- there is they need windows so I hope what you're there you really spread it around as much as possible route brutally.

So well OK Italy just needed to go back and spend about a trillion dollars -- so.

If this senate today at.

-- at noon sometime afternoon if they act today to undo.

Net neutrality is it on -- and -- can it be -- -- what what happened.

It's -- we have passed the house earlier that could pass the senate we need to pick up for Democrat votes this used to be a nonpartisan or bipartisan issue unfortunately -- become a partisan Democrats -- sort of defected to the pro regulation.

Crowd.

And Republicans -- this stayed with the Clinton gore administration policy -- -- it just gets weird though.

So we need a simple majority there and go to the president's desk if it gets that simple majority the president issued.

You know adrenaline that I eat but you know what I I would hope that -- -- does good news desk he would change his mind -- issued an executive order to executive orders earlier this year saying he wanted to get rid of unneeded regulation.

And this is clearly unneeded and harmful regulations so I would hope -- reconsider and sign the bill.

We appreciate your sunny optimism which is it's -- to be found here in studio three but we thank you very much for being with -- with the.

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