Senate votes to restore net neutrality, rebuking FCC Chairman Pai

The US Senate voted to restore net neutrality by reversing the FCC’s 2017 elimination of the rules. The vote was 52-47 with three Republicans – Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, John Kennedy of Louisiana, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – joining all 49 Democrats in the chamber.

The senators passed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) vote to reverse the FCC’s decision to eliminate the open Internet rules. The vote is a strong rebuke of Chairman Pai and his Republican colleagues at the FCC, who eliminated the net neutrality rules, and reflects growing grassroots pressure to protect an open Internet.

To fully restore net neutrality, a similar CRA vote must pass the House and be signed by President Trump.

The Communications Workers of America supports three bright-line, common sense rules – no blocking, no throttling, and no favorable treatment of some websites and applications over others – to protect a free and open Internet. CWA supports a CRA resolution as a first step toward federal legislation.

Links:

Senate votes to overturn Ajit Pai’s net neutrality repeal (Ars Technica, May 16, 2018)

CWA: FCC vote will damage free and open Internet (Speed Matters, Dec. 14, 2017)