GOP Desperately Tries to Kill Net Neutrality With Budget Rider Unhappy with the FCC's decision to protect consumers from bad behavior by the likes of AT&T, Comcast and Verizon, the GOP continues to desperately try to destroy the agency's net neutrality rules. A group of Republican lawmakers started pushing a Resolution of Disapproval back in June as part of an unlikely gambit to have the rules scrapped. A resolution of disapproval allows Congress to review and potentially overturn new federal regulations from government agencies using an expedited legislative process.

In this case, the resolution -- affixed to a government budget proposal -- aims to strip the FCC of the authority and funding necessary to enforce the net neutrality rules until the ISPs' lawsuit against the agency is finished. That lawsuit isn't likely to see resolution until next year. However, the resolution being proposed by the GOP must be either signed by the President, or passed over the President's veto by two-thirds of both Houses of Congress -- neither of which are likely to happen here. Meanwhile, Democrats like Ed Markey and Al Franken say they're fighting any attempt to include such a rider in the budget bill. "When a rider is going to distort the marketplace in the United States in such a radical way, and on a signature issue of the Obama era, then I think it is very clear that the president will put up a veto threat against inclusion of that rider," Markey said. If the ISPs' lawsuits don't work, and loyal ISP friends in Congress can't get a budget rider included that erodes FCC authority, the mega-ISPs' next best chance to dismantle net neutrality is via the 2016 elections. Most of the GOP candidates running for President have If the ISPs' lawsuits don't work, and loyal ISP friends in Congress can't get a budget rider included that erodes FCC authority, the mega-ISPs' next best chance to dismantle net neutrality is via the 2016 elections. Most of the GOP candidates running for President have promised they'll appoint new FCC leadership that will ensure the net neutrality rules are no more.







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Most recommended from 103 comments



Simba7

I Void Warranties

join:2003-03-24

Fromberg, MT 58 recommendations Simba7 Member Too bad we can't.. ..defund the GOP. It would make life much better.

rebus9

join:2002-03-26

Tampa Bay 48 recommendations rebus9 Member Further Proof Dropping Out Was the Right Choice Decades as a registered Republican, until 2013 when I couldn't stomach this party anymore and dropped out. They are so deep inside the pockets of big corporate, it's impossible to tell the difference.



Life as an Independent is much sweeter.

Tobester

join:2000-11-14

San Francisco, CA 32 recommendations Tobester Member Trying to kill Net Neutrality Killing Net Neutrality is another step on the long road where large corporate interests, with deep pockets flush with cash, can buy legislation in order to make them even more money.



The Supreme Court's Citizen's United decision let the evil genie out of the bottle to influence campaigns even more. Most in Congress are now beholden to their corporate master's donations from day one.



The public be damned.

EGeezer

Premium Member

join:2002-08-04

Midwest ·Callcentric

18 recommendations EGeezer Premium Member Paying twice? If I'm paying my ISP for 15Mbps, and a site operator is paying his ISP for bandwidth to deliver to me at 15MBps, I am entitled to the speed I pay for. When my ISP throttles my connection, they're ripping me off.



Allowing internet service providers to shut down competition by throttling their servers or, as they could well do under the proposals, arbitrarily gag sites with the 'wrong' political, social or economic views or content is nothing less than thievery and suppression of the constitutional freedom of speech.



I will vote against any candidate who goes on record as supporting the elimination of net neutrality. I may have to hold my nose while doing it, but I will do it.

Ut98Ex

join:2012-07-11

Georgetown, TX 18 recommendations Ut98Ex Member repubs... and yet another lame attempt of politicizing a bipartisan issue. Its not even worth asking why they continue to do this. I guess they figured they haven't lost enough votes for the 2016 election yet. jdbob

Premium Member

join:2009-07-04

John Day, OR 11 recommendations jdbob Premium Member GOP GOP = "Guardians Of Plutocracy"

Noah Vail

Oh God please no.

Premium Member

join:2004-12-10

SouthAmerica 8 recommendations Noah Vail Premium Member So Either my fellow conservatives are foolishly on the wrong side of this issue

or they are not and are foolishly silent.



Regardless, I've come to the conclusion that the only way to throw my vote away is to waste it on a candidate who violates the oath they take to the constitution.

Supporting either major party is just ethically wrong.



I'm done being corralled by hatred for "the other guy" into voting for a more harmonious scumbag.