Senate voted Wednesday to reinstate Obama-era net neutrality rules that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed last December. But net-neutrality advocates argue that smaller companies that don’t have the money to pay for fast lanes could suffer.
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The resolution passed the Senate with a vote [vote record] of 52-47.
And Susan Collins has been open about her support for net-neutrality leading up to the vote. But two other Republicans – Sen.
“Today is a monumental day”, said Sen. “At BestVPN.com, we stand side by side with companies and citizens around the world in opposition to the FCC’s decision”. “We show the American people who sides with them, and who sides with the powerful special interests and corporate donors who are thriving under this administration”.
Getting a similar result in the House will be harder.
Critics of the FCC rollback say they’re anxious about consumers being forced to pay more for less consistent or slower service.
The driving argument for repeal from Republican FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has been that the rules hindered innovation, investment and expansion by service providers.
This is where things will potentially get tricky, as net neutrality activists would still have to secure the support of more than 20 Republicans. “It’s time to stop trying to score political points and work together to ensure an open internet with privacy protections for all consumers”.
“And I’m frustrated with where we are today, that we basically have moved forward a measure that the Democrats know probably isn’t going to become law, because this president isn’t going to sign it”, Murkowski said.
Fear is a great motivator for voters. The House of Representatives would need to vote the same way, and that’ll take over 20 rebels, not just 3. Alaska’s senior senator said she made it clear to her colleagues that she wants to see bipartisan action out of the Senate, and that she has an ax to grind for Alaska. The Internet was free and open before 2015, when the prior FCC buckled to political pressure from the White House and imposed utility-style regulation on the Internet. But if Democrats’ strategy to make it a more crucial midterm election issue succeeds, “it might be a chance for a populist appeal”, he said.
“Outside Washington, net neutrality rules are popular”, Public Knowledge Vice President Chris Lewis stated.
Still, Democrats are already using their messaging in campaign material.
And in the wake of the net neutrality repeal, companies like Charter (Spectrum) are trying to claim that states have no legal authority to hold them accountable for failed promises, slow speeds, or much of anything else.
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He said the internet thrived long before the Obama administration stepped in, and he predicted that when the Trump administration’s rule scrapping net neutrality goes into effect in June, consumers won’t notice a change in service.
