Or
{Evenly} UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
. The Assistant Secretary for Communications
a 4, and Information



Washington. D.C. 20230

November 10, 2014

Ms. Marlene Dortch

Secretary

Federal Communications Commission
445 12?? Street, s.w.

Washington, DC 20554

RE: Ex Parte Filing; Framework for Broadband Internet Service (GN Docket No. 10-
127); Open Internet Rulemaking (GN Docket No. 14-28)

Dear Ms. Dortch:

Please ?nd attached for ?ling in the above-referenced dockets a statement released today
by President Barack Obama on network neutrality. In it, the President reaf?rms his commitment
to a free and open Internet, and he calls on the FCC to protect neutrality on the Internet using
Title II of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended by the Telecommunications Act of
1996.

In addition, on November 6, 2014, Jeff Zients. Director of the National Economic
Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, met with Chairman Tom Wheeler
and Federal Communications Commission General Counsel Jonathan Sallet to convey the points
set out in the attached statement.

Respectfully submitted,



Lawrence E. Strickling

cc: The Honorable Tom Wheeler, Chairman
The Honorable Mignon Clyburn, Commissioner
The Honorable Jessica Rosenworcel, Commissioner
The Honorable Ajit Pai, Commissioner
The Honorable Michael O?Rielly, Commissioner

Philip Verveer, Senior Counselor to ?This is And bad for any semblance

the Chairman, forwarding of agency independence.

comments from 
top lobbyist 11:04 Nov. 10th

 

Too many people saw Zients going in to
meet with Tom last week.?

 

  

r? "or no

 

ram:

 

T0: lawman indict; Ruth bhiLinau

Subject: FW: FCC CHAIRMAN TOM STE-TEMENT ON PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA CTRTEMENT 
OPEN INTERNET

Date: Mondav, November 2014 11:04:43 AM



From:?

Sent: Monday, November In, 2014 AM
lo: Philip VeiW-or
Subjed: Re: FCC CHAIRMAN TOM STATEMENT 0N PRESIDENT - CK 

STATEMENT REGARDING OPEN INTERNET

I hope so too

Now I least understand you pushed the hybrid

This is  And bad for any semblance too
Too tinny people saw Zients gomg to meet ?'lIh Tom last week

5cm from my iPnd

On Nov Ill, .?Ul-l .u 10 *4 AM Philip K'cnm mot:-

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Imm: Kim Halt 

Sent: Monday, NOVt?nIbt'l Ill, 2I114 111:4) N-l

lo: pH'S?i

Subject: CHAIRMAN TOM UN BARN 
STATEMENT REGARDING OPEN INTERNET

TONI 0N PRESIDENT

From:
To:

Subject:

Date:

E-mail From the FCC Chairman to the FCC
Chief of Staff, Senior Counselor, General
Counsel and Communications Director
November 10, 2014

Tom Wheeler [e-mail redacted]
Ruth Milkman; Philip Jonathan Seller,
FW: The President wants you to see this:
Monday, November 10, 2014 4:31:49 PM

 



 

FYI. Isn?t it interesting:

The day of the demonstration just happens to be the day folks take action at my house,
The video of POTUS just happens to end up on the same message as the video from POTUS,
The White House sends this email to their supporter list asking "pass this on to anyone who

cares about saving the Internet.?



E-mails From the Chief of Staff to the Senate
Majority Leader to the FCC Chairman
tam

sena e.

     

 

From: Krone, David (Reid) ailt .
Sent: Thursday, May 15. 2014 9:2

To; Tom Wheeler [e-mail redacted]
Subject: <no subject> 

Good luck today.

Not sure how things have landed but i trust you to make it work. Please shout if you need anything.

 

I Spoke again last night with the WH and told them?to back off Title II Went through once again the
problems it creates for us.

 

From: Krone, David (Reid) 
Sent: Thursday. May 1'5. 7014 6:11? PM

To: Tom Wheeler [e-mail redacted]
Subject: Re: <no subject)

Too funny. I literally just watched y0ur remarks from this morning. Spot on. Thank 

P.S. Zients was definitely reacting to the press reports. Or, should i say, overreacting. My main point to
the WH is how can you declare today that regulations written in the 1930's will work fine for 2014
technologyl Let Torn do his job and this will be final

 

 

Redacted vs. Original:
April 24, 2014 Correspondence Between the FCC Chairman and the Counselor to the President of the United States

   

 

 

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To Subject: 4c t. 
Qua-mt Date: 34,231?
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Yes I or. wil? statement sr?il 3' to what I emailed yeti.

 

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r22. 11:: :h 

 



Orig nal Mess? gr!

  . . I From: Podesia, John Lung};   
Sent: Aprri 23, 2014 20:Brutal story. Somehow going on the reward to (1 ml?. nark?

  
 

?l :to?y g: '13 ii r: to push baf-C?

  



Sent: Madnesday, Apr! 23, P024 101?? PM
To: Porlt?sta, John

Subject: Fw: NYT Story it. wqu

 

:1 JOl?r 

so anJ .cu no first cm.? Sorry, should have "ad on first -2"nar



  



 

 

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To: ?Manse?>-
'tpo--er-n?' ?mama?r:

NYT stowr IS wrong

 

Thu I1: moving a story that the FCC if. gutting tin-3 Open lnt: rtet ruleUnfortunateh': It has been picked up by va'mus 0.1' is without checking.

 

 

 

Tomormw we ll cnculate the a new Open Inter proposal ma: ml] res are (read 
the case of was a" lo stand Lt?ltll'l, 1] My m1 Thu ?ml

Net Neutrulrtv Order  a manner torrSIsient the court's ruhng In Januath-L

 

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court scrotl'iythey haw-?- :t wmnf}.

  

he sa'nc- 'ult?s wil' app?; 1' =il [intermt contch As with the original Open rules, {rs-c
minusfcrit . :h the Chat-1m the terms .?Jl rornpet 3?1 
permit?toj.

 

the or; trot-mt: a stato?nt?nt :ontainro Don?t: :3 he "10.151 ca: 'tow,

tans. IS mobile.

 

Please cal I: It you have any ow:

 



E-mail From the Communications
Director to the FCC Chief of Staff and General

Counsel
November 14, 2014
From: Shannen?jmp
To: EutLMillsmau; Wallet
Subject: Fw: Washington Post: .5. CT 0 on net neutrality critics: ?Are you supposed to argue with physics?? (Scola)
Date: Friday, November 14, 2014 3:28:06 PM

 

This QA rankles me. Do you take this as twisting the knife. I don't want to overreact but I am

ready to log a call.

From: Sharon Hurd _@fcc.goy>

Sent: Friday, November 14, 2014 2:01 PM

To: Bartees Cox; Eric Feigenbaum; Kim Hart; Lamar Roberlson; Mark Wig?eld; Meribeth McCarrick; Neil
Grace; Rochelle Cohen; Shannon Gilson; Susan Szulman

Subject: Washington Post: .5. (IO on net neutrality critics: ?Are you supposed to argue with physics??
(Scola)

 

U.S. CTO on net neutrality critics: ?Are you supposed to argue with physics??
By Nancy Scola November 14 at 1:35 PM 



 

TIMELINE FOR BACKGROUND

1/14/2014 U.S. Court oprpeals for the DC Circuit strikes down FCC net neutrality rules in its
Verizon v. FCC decision.

5/15/2014 - FCC approves Notice ofProposed Rulemaking on Open Internet, beginning series of
open public comment periods.

6/11/2014 Chairman Tom Wheeler has a scheduled meeting with WH Council of Economic
Advisers Chairman Jason Furman at the White House.

6/18/2014 Wheeler has scheduled meeting with Zients at the White House.

7/17/2014 - Wheeler has scheduled meeting with Deputy Assistant to the President; Deputy
National Security Adviser, International Economics, Caroline Atkinson at the OEOB.

9/11/2014 - Wheeler has scheduled meeting with Zients at the White House.
9/15/2014 - Close of NPRM reply comment period.

9/17/2014 - Wheeler expresses concern at a House Small Business Committee hearing that Title II
could disincentivize companies from investing in infrastructure. (FedScoop.com]

9/30/2014 - Wheeler has scheduled meeting with US CTO Megan Smith at the OEOB.
10/15/2014 - Wheeler has scheduled meeting with Furman at the White House.
10/28/2014 - Wheeler has scheduled meeting with Zients at the White House.

10/30/2014 - Wall Street Journal reports that Wheeler leaning toward hybrid approach. [Wall
Street Journal)

11/6/2014 Zients meets with Wheeler at the FCC to inform him that President Obama ready to
unveil his vision for regulating high speed internet traffic.

11/7/2014 - Wall Street Journal reports that consideration of the net neutrality rule will be
delayed into 2015. [Wall Street Journal]

11/10/2014 President Obama releases statement and video asking the FCC to adopt the
strongest possible net neutrality rules. That morning protestors block Chairman Wheeler?s
driveway protesting in favor ofTitIe II reclassi?cation.

1/07/2015 Wheeler indicates that Title II will be the basis ofnew net neutrality rules in a
discussion at the Consumer Electronics Association. (Ars Technica]

2/04/2015 Wheeler Wired Op-ed announces proposed rules adopting the President?s approach.
2/26/2015 FCC votes to regulate broadband internet as a public utility under Title II.

3/12/2015 FCC releases Open Internet Rule to the public.