Sens. Manchin, Moran Issue Statement on Free, Open Internet, Broadband Access

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Sens. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, and Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, chairman of the Senate Commerce subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance and Data Security, issued the following joint statement calling for bipartisan legislative solution to protect free and open internet and promote rural broadband access:

"As senators who have been working to close the digital divide, we believe federal policy must continue to promote the expansion of broadband access across rural America. Consumers and innovators deserve clear rules of the road that will continue to ensure the internet remains an open marketplace, will drive our online economy and will support investment throughout our internet ecosystem.

"To that end, we agree with the calls of Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chairman Thune and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle that we must find bipartisan consensus that codifies strong net neutrality protections and conclusively resolves this debate.

"Consumers want an internet that is free of content-based discrimination and supports the deployment of reliable, affordable broadband access throughout the country. Congress enshrining net neutrality protections based on clear and certain rules into law is necessary to guarantee the internet remains free and open."