Senate Democrats Move Forward With Resolution To Restore Net Neutrality
On Wednesday, Senator Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and others filed a motion to reinstate the rules. The effort, spearheaded by Markey, has garnered support from all 49 Senate Democrats as well as Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine. If Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) -- currently on a medical leave of absence -- doesn't vote, the measure is poised to pass the Senate by one vote. But passage is considered unlikely, given that only 160 House members have so far said they support the bill -- leaving it far short of the 218 votes needed to pass. The latest effort to enshrine net neutrality protections comes five months after the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal Obama-era regulations that classified broadband as a utility service and imposed some common carrier rules on providers. Among other restrictions, the regulations prohibited broadband carriers from blocking or throttling online traffic and from charging companies higher fees for prioritized delivery. Click Read More below for additional information.