Obama threatens veto to save net neutrality

The White House said that the president would veto the current congressional attempt to eliminate net neutrality, should the Republican-sponsored bill pass the Senate this week. Were S.J. Res. 6 to pass, it would remove the, "FCC's net-neutrality regulations prevent Internet service providers from slowing down or speeding up access to websites."

The open Internet rules were passed last year and are scheduled to take effect on  November 20, 2011. President Obama promised to protect net neutrality during his 2008 campaign for office, and it appears he is still as committed to the concept.

"It would be ill-advised to threaten the very foundations of innovation in the Internet economy and the democratic spirit that has made the Internet a force for social progress around the world," the White House said. "If the President is presented with S.J. Res. 6, which would not safeguard the free and open Internet, his senior advisers would recommend that he veto the Resolution."

The administration has been joined in this effort by a loose coalition of organizations and political groups. On October 13, 2011, for instance, the Communications Workers of America united with several dozen other unions, media groups and community organizations to oppose the Republican attempt to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the FCC net neutrality rules. CRA is a section of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, which the Republicans enacted in 1996 as part of the ideologically driven Contract with America. The 42 Senate Republicans did, in fact , invoke CRA when they submitted the nullification of the FCC rules.

That's why CWA and the other co-signatories of the letter wrote:

"The below signed organizations support an Open Internet and oppose S. J. Res 6, legislation that would repeal the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) Open Internet rules through the Congressional Review Act. Utilizing the Congressional Review Act would not only eliminate the current FCC rules, it would eliminate the FCC's ability to protect innovation, speech, and commerce on broadband platforms on behalf of the American people."

President Obama issues veto threat on attempt to repeal net-neutrality rules (The Hill, Nov. 8, 2011)

CRA letter to Senate (Oct. 16, 2011)