WASHINGTON, DC – House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) today led House debate on H.R. 1580, legislation to affirm the policy of the United States regarding Internet governance and preserve Internet freedom. The bipartisan legislation, which was unanimously approved by the Energy and Commerce Committee in April, will promote a global Internet managed under the current multi-stakeholder governance model. Last Congress, a similar measure unanimously passed the House and Senate. In light of continued international efforts to regulate the Internet, the House voted today to make it official U.S policy rather than merely a sense of the Congress. The House unanimously approved the legislation..

"The Internet is possibly the most important technological advancement since the printing press. Governments’ hands off approach has enabled the Internet’s rapid growth and made it a powerful engine of social and economic freedom. This bipartisan bill is designed to combat recent efforts by some in the international community to regulate the Internet, which could jeopardize not only its vibrancy, but also the benefits it brings to the world," said Walden.

###