Today’s mark-up may seem to be an odd coupling – first a bill to repeal the scientific finding that global warming pollution is dangerous and eliminate EPA’s tools to address it, and then a resolution disapproving the Open Internet rule promulgated by the FCC last year.

But there’s a method to the Majority’s legislative madness. The GOP’s version of March Madness this afternoon is designed to make both the polluters and the broadband barons the big winners at the expense of our environment, our health, our economy and American consumers.

In other words, today, House Republicans will take up legislation that would destroy the World Wide Web. And they’ll also bring up a bill that will help destroy the WHOLE WIDE WORLD itself.

They’ll take aim at Google Earth - and set their sights on “Mother Earth”.

They’ll slow down the blogosphere - and pollute the atmosphere. 

They’ll clog up the Internet and smog up the air from smokestacks belching massive amounts of dangerous global warming pollution.

Preserving the open Internet and protecting our environment and human health should be our priority.  Instead, these two unwise and ill-conceived pieces of legislation would take us in the opposite direction.

The Upton-Inhofe bill overturns the scientific finding that pollution is harming our people and our planet.  It ties EPA’s hands, preventing it from being able to take steps to curb the harms this pollution will inflict on our health, environment and national security.

The Republican resolution to repeal the FCC’s open Internet order isn’t just a solution in search of a problem – it’s a RESolution in search of problem:

·    Consumers rely on it;

·    Major carriers like AT&T & Comcast have no problem with it;

·    Innovators and our economy depend on it; but yet

·    Republicans want to repeal it.

This makes no sense.

Despite the difference in substance, it’s altogether fitting that the Committee is considering the bill and the resolution  together today, since they’re both headed to legislative oblivion. 

I urge opposition and yield back the balance of my time.