Washington, DC-  Representative Edward J. Markey, a Ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, made the following statement after a House Panel approved Rep. Barton’s National Cable Franchising and Net Neutrality Legislation (27-Y, 4-N).

“This vote should open the eyes of every single American who uses the Internet,” said Rep. Markey.  "It is time for the thousands of Internet-based businesses and millions of citizens to make themselves heard – it is now up to the Internet community to rise up to save the Internet itself." 

A vote on network neutrality in the Energy and Commerce Committee is expected in three weeks. 

 “There is a tremendous amount at stake.  Think about it: Do you use the Internet to email your daughter or son in college?  Do you use the internet to make your voice heard or read the news online? Do you order your groceries online or does your business depend on referrals from a website you have launched for orders?  Does your office depend on email to communicate with clients?  Do you cut costs by reading the business?   Does your company’s plan rely on an unregulated internet, the internet that entrepreneurs and musicians, grandmas and school kids around the world have come to know and love and depend on?

“Imagine if you had to pay for the voice over the Internet services that you use to make calls to Europe?  Imagine if every company, school, email system had to pay a telephone or cable company in order to continue to reach the millions of  Internet  users who rely on their services to “Google” info for college papers and email presentations for meeting across timelines, or get a graduate degree online?  Imagine the end of the internet as we know it – that is the reality that we are about to face.

“Without a fight to save network neutrality all of these familiar and critical activities are threatened.  The bill before this Congress will fundamentally alter the open nature of the Internet, and its impact will be felt by everyone who sends an email or visits a website or uses the internet to make their voice heard. The time to change this provision is now, before it is too late.”

For video and a copy of Rep. Markey’s amendment to address net neutrality of for a complete testimony at today’s hearing check out: http://markey.house.gov/