NEWS Federal Communications Commission 445 12 th Street, S.W. Washington, DC 20554 This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974). News Media Information: (202) 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: (888) 835-5322 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS: February 23, 2015 Matthew Berry (202) 418-2005 Email: Matthew.Berry@fcc.gov Robin Colwell (202) 418-2013 Email: Robin.Colwell@fcc.gov STATEMENT OF FCC COMMISSIONERS AJIT PAI AND MIKE O’RIELLY REQUESTING PUBLIC RELEASE OF INTERNET REGULATION PLAN AND TEMPORARY DELAY OF VOTE We respectfully request that FCC leadership immediately release the 332-page Internet regulation plan publicly and allow the American people a reasonable period of not less than 30 days to carefully study it. Then, after the Commission reviews the specific input it receives from the American public and makes any modifications to the plan as appropriate, we could proceed to a final vote. With the future of the entire Internet at stake, it is imperative that the FCC get this right. And to do that, we must live up to the highest standards of transparency. Transparency is particularly important here because the plan in front of us right now is so drastically different than the proposal the FCC adopted and put out for public comment last May. Over the past few weeks, it has become clear that the American people are growing increasingly concerned about government regulation of the Internet and that they want the Commission to disclose the plan. Indeed, an independent survey last week found that 79% of Americans favored releasing the plan prior to any FCC vote. 1 Transparency and good process shouldn’t be a partisan issue. In 2003, for example, Democratic Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein called for a delay of the vote on reforming the Commission’s media ownership rules and a public airing of the Commission’s proposal. Their words then echo now: “A public airing would make for better policies. It would make for better buy-in from the American people.” 2 We similarly urge our colleagues to join us and allow the American people to review the proposed Internet regulations before we hold a vote. To do anything less puts at risk the Internet and all of the benefits it brings to the American people. 1 See The Progressive Policy Institute, Press Release: New Survey Finds Americans Skeptical that FCC Regulation of the Internet Will Be Helpful; Favor More Disclosure (Feb. 19, 2015), available at http://bit.ly/1FyPKoO. 2 FCC Commissioners Adelstein and Copps Call For Public Airing of Media Concentration Proposals, Press Release (May 13, 2003), available at http://go.usa.gov/3ccgj.