WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04) today made the following statement today after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3-2 to rollback rules on Net Neutrality.

“I condemn the FCC decision today to do away with Net Neutrality. U.S. taxpayers paid for the research and development of the World Wide Web, and we deserve for the Internet to remain a platform open to all content treated equally and without discrimination.

“An open Internet means access to all content and applications regardless of origin with no favoring of one source over another or any type of blocking or filtering. Openness is what drives growth and competition. Blocking content stifles innovation and creativity. Openness embraces our core value as Americans: equality of opportunity. Openness is who we are and what we are about.

“Openness also separates us from closed, autocratic societies that limit the information that people receive -- and thus the educational and cultural achievements that can be attained -- and the freedoms they enjoy. Look no further than the Great Firewall of North Korea, where people live in a closed society. North Korea is the antithesis of an open Internet. Any restriction on openness is a step towards a closed society. It’s the wrong direction for America.

“I condemn the FCC’s wrongheaded decision to undermine Internet openness through this rescission of net neutrality rules. History will not be kind to those who turned their backs on freedom and created rules today that quash an open Internet.

”Should the opportunity arise, I am open to working on a legislative solution that keeps the interests of the American people paramount.”

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