New Ad Spotlights Need to Keep Internet Open, Accessible & Supportive of Free Expression

The American Edge Project, a coalition of nearly two dozen domestic organizations, today released a new advertising campaign to spotlight the importance of protecting an open, accessible internet. “Great Nation” features former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and former U.S. Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR) – both of whom recently joined the American Edge Project (AEP) to lead the coalition’s efforts on internet openness, accessibility, and free expression – and follows a recent opinion column by the bipartisan duo.

Script:

Senator Heidi Heitkamp: I was a Democratic Senator.

Congressman Greg Walden: And I was a Republican Congressman. Americans, regardless of political party, want to protect what makes us a great nation: free expression.

Heitkamp: Our adversaries stand in stark contrast. Countries like China and Russia seek to spread their vision of a closed internet.

Walden: America’s tech innovators are on the frontlines to protect our values, and an open and accessible internet.

Heitkamp: Protecting America’s edge will ensure the internet is open and accessible to all.

Background: The American Edge Project is a coalition of domestic organizations representing a cross-section of U.S. innovators who are dedicated to telling the story about technology’s positive influence on America’s economy and the vital role innovation plays in our society. Former New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, former U.S. Representative Chris Carney, and former Federal Election Commission Chairman Bradley A. Smith are directors of the American Edge Project. Admiral James G. Stavridis, USN (Ret.), who served as the 16th Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, and former White House Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Advisor Frances Townsend serve as Co-Chairs of the Project’s National Security Advisory Board. Former United States Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) lead the Project’s Economic Advisory Board. Visit AmericanEdgeProject.org for more information.

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