WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Thursday after the Federal Communications Commission voted on the Restoring Internet Freedom notice of proposed rulemaking:

“I commend the FCC for taking the first step in returning the Internet to the state of permissionless innovation it thrived under until just two short years ago. Today’s action begins the process of undoing the agency’s 2015 Open Internet Order, which upended the decades-old bipartisan consensus that consumers – not government regulators – should control the information superhighway.”

“But today’s FCC action is only the first step in protecting Internet innovation. A stable regulatory environment can only come from congressional action. This is why I recently introduced the Restoring Internet Freedom Act, which would not only repeal the 2015 Order but also prevent the FCC from further action without congressional mandate.”

“I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate, House, and FCC, to further promote competition by removing other existing barriers to entry. Only competition – among Internet Service Providers, apps, platforms, content creators, and all other firms across the Internet – can ensure that consumers, not the government, pick winners and losers who provide the best services at the lowest prices.”