69
AL FRANKEN 
MINNESOTA 
tinitcd ~tatcs ~cnetc 
WASHI NGTON, DC 20510-2309 
The Honorable Ajit Pai 
Chairman 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 121h St SW 
Washington, DC 20536 
Dear Chairman Pai: 
January 30, 2017 
Congratulations on your appointment as head of the Federal Communications Commission 
(FCC). As Chairman, you have an obligation to protect Americans' access to diverse information 
sources and to ensure that the intemet remains a tool for American innovation, economic growth, 
and public discourse. I have no doubt that you recognize the significance of your new role, but 
your stated opposition to strong net neutrality rules raises serious concems about your 
commitment to honoring the First Amendment. Allowing giant corporations to pick and choose 
the content available to everyday Americans would threaten the basic principles of our 
democracy. I urge you to protect freedom of speech by maintaining and enforcing the Open 
Intemet Order. 
Two years ago, American consumers and businesses celebrated the FCC's landmark vote to 
preserve a free and open intemet by reclassifying broadband providers as common caniers under 
Title II of the Communications Act. The vote came after the FCC received nearly four million 
public comments, the majority of which supp01ted strong net neutrality rules, making it the most 
commented-on FCC issue by three times. Consumers urged the Commission to protect their 
unfettered and affordable access to content; a wide range ofadvocacy organizations pressed the 
Commission to ensure all voices and ideas on the intemet receive equal treatment from 
broadband providers, regardless of how deep any speaker's pocket is; and small businesses asked 
that the intemet remain a level playing field so that they can continue to compete with larger 
comparues. 
While the FCC's vote to implement strong net neutrality rules was an important victory for 
American consumers and business, it also demonstrated the overwhelming power of grassroots 
activism and civic participation. In 2014, millions of Americans from across the political 
spectrum organized to ensure that their voices were heard, and - in the process - they redefined 
civic engagement in our country. But that kind of participation requires an open internet. 
Because of net neutrality, a handful of multibillion-dollar companies cannot control where their 
users get their information, and those massive corporations cannot choose to bury sites offering 
altemative viewpoints. And because of net neutrality, people from across the nation can connect 
with each other, share their ideas on the intemet, and organize a community effort. 
WWW.FRANKEN.SENATE.GOV 
SUITE 
SH- 309 
202-224-5641 
As you enter your new role as Chaitman of the FCC, I urge you to respect the political process 
and the voices that made themselves so abundantly clear three years ago. Net neutrality is the 
First Amendment issue of our time, and I will fight to protect it every step of the way. 
Sincerely, 
Al Franken 
United States Senator